Frozen Chocolate Can Still Melt
by DeppFictionLovers
Summary: AU: pre movie & book: From his office high above the town, Willy Wonka coldly watches everything around him. Can a girl melt his frozen chocolate heart? Now M!: Lightly influenced by Beauty & the Beast & Phantom of the Opera: Complete!
1. Flashbacks and Tales

Disclaimer: We do not own Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp version or otherwise), his amazing factory, or anything associated with them. If we owned Willy Wonka or anything CatCF, this story would not be here; we would be too busy with Willy and chocolate (wink, wink).

AN: Hello people! This is Mystic Lady Fae and Hollow's Eve, and we have joined together to write this Wonka fic to celebrate the wonderful film. Be warned that this is an _alternate universe_ story, so please don't hate us for anything different from the movie or book. Opinions of the fic are much appreciated, so don't hesitate to review!

**Chapter 1: Flashbacks and Tales**:

In a small town near London, a tall, bland, gray factory jutted out above the small buildings surrounding it. It loomed over the town ominously casting a lot of the town in shadow. Young children stood at the tall metal gates, staring longingly up at the factory and all of the promising goodies and treats hidden within.

From an office high above the imposing iron gates, a cold pair of violet eyes stared down at the children, unknowing and innocent at being watched from above. There were stories told about the mysterious man who owned the factory, the secluded owner who had retreated to his factory due to the horrible acts of betrayal caused by those he trusted mosthis factory workers. This loss of trust sent him into a secluded state of mind, one that had destroyed all desire to face any in the outside world. However, despite his loss of trust in humankind, Willy Wonka still harbored a need to travel to distant lands in search of new flavors for his creations.

Willy Wonka fondly thought back to the time that he was on those exhibitions. On one of them he went to a little known island near Africa. He later learned its name _Loompa-Land_. The whole island was thick jungle and cutting his way through, Willy Wonka had unexpectedly found himself in the heart of an Oompa Loompa village. Using the little of their language he had read in books he found that the Oompa Loompas worshipped the cocoa bean that he used every day in his enormous factory. He learned that the poor Oompa Loompas had nothing else to eat but disgusting Green Caterpillars and red beetles, crushed into a soupy substance.

After being accepted into their society, the chief had offered some of the Green Caterpillar concoction to Willy who had smiled and shook his head politely. When the chief insisted, Willy took the bowl so as not to offend him. Smelling it he tried to not make a face at the ghastly odor it gave off. Sticking a gloved finger into the bowl, he pulled out a long string of green ooze. Slinging it so that it would wrap around his finger, he noticed that it acted as if it were made of elastic. Wondering if it could be used for taffy he held the green ooze and strangely lapped it off his finger hoping to taste it as little as possible. It tasted horrid but Willy smiled before handing the bowl back to the chief. Trying to keep from passing the contents of that morning's breakfast onto the floor he made a strange sound in the back of his throattrying to pass the sound off as one of sincere enjoyment. A small smile presently worked its way onto the candy maker's lips at the memory. In the end, Mr.Wonka had brought the entire Oompa Loompa population back to his factory to work and live, and much to their delight he paid them in cocoa beans. It was because of this action that no one ever went in or out of the factory after that day. Taking one last look out his window, Willy Wonka then turned on his heel to go check on his newest inventions.

* * *

(Not long after, outside the factory gates) 

An elementary school class walked past the iron gates that overlooked the city. A tall woman with graying hair led the group, and her slightly shorter teacher's aid brought up the rear with a cute little red-haired girl latched to her by the hand. One by one the children stopped and looked up at the intimidating factory until the elder teacher called for them to start moving again.

"Come on, Mrs. Baker. Can't we just stay for a little bit?" a few of the children asked.

"Why don't we stop and have a story, Mrs. Baker?" the aid asked. She knew the story of the candy maker by heart.

"Oh, alright," the teacher replied.

The children cheered and settled down on the grass near the sidewalk. The young, auburn haired teacher's aid stood in front of them with the gates behind her and began to tell the story. She told them about Willy Wonka's first shop and its incredible creations, and Prince Pondecherri, the foolish Indian prince who had wanted a palace made completely of chocolate. Once the humorous tales were over, she told of the horrible betrayal that led to the factory's closing when he had to fire all of the workers. She then told them when the factory had suddenly just started making candy again, but no one ever went in or out of it.

One child raised his hand eagerly, waiting to be called on. When the aid obliged, he asked, "Miss Danika? How do they run the machines if no one goes in or out?"

"That's just it Joey, nobody knows," The aid replied.

"I think we should be on our way." Mrs. Baker said, breaking the magical moment to usher them along to their destination.

An eruption of 'boos' and protests came but the group headed out for the zoo none the less. As the same little girl took up the aid's hand again, she looked up at her cousin. The little girl decided then and there that she wanted to look just like her cousin when she was older. Nika's long auburn hair framed her face, spilling over her shoulders in shimmering waves. Her bright green eyes seemed to smile at you when she was happy, but could pierce through you when she was mad. Of course, the girl knew her older cousin wasn't the prettiest girl, she was almost average, but there was something that made her shine. She also told the best fairy tale stories she had ever heard.

The two were waiting for the end of the line when the little girl looked up at the factory, and Danika looked down at her. "What is it, Kylie?"

"Don't you think it would be fun to sneak in there, Nika?" she asked, hopping along excitedly beside her idol, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wouldn't it be great to sneak in and see all the wonderful candy and things inside?"

The woman chuckled and shook her head. "No, we couldn't get in if we tried. Plus, Mr. Wonka probably doesn't want us in there." Nika jerked her head towards the entrance of the zoo. "Come on, I'll take you to see the monkeys instead," she said, smiling.

Secretly she wished they could. The little girl squealed and practically dragged Danika the rest of the way to the zoo.

* * *

AN: Sorry about the short chapter, the others will be longer, we promise! 


	2. Memories

Disclaimer: We truly wish that we owned everything Wonka (chocolate-wise and Oompa Loompas), but sadly, we don't.

AN: We're very sorry that there hasn't been much Willy Wonka this far into the story, but he will really start showing up more at the end of this chapter and in the next one. Also, we truly hope that people enjoy this story…it will get better, we promise!

**Chapter Two: Memories:**

Watching the children run around and point at animals, Danika Sinclaire could only smile at the charming picture. Little Kylie raced around like a hyperactive rabbit, chasing her fellow classmates to all of the exhibits. The little girl's red hair was several shades lighter than her older cousin's, Kylie's blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she ran. Leaning against a nearby bench, Nika smiled and watched the little ones have their fun.

Despite what she had told Kylie before, Danika truly did wonder what went on in that factory. When she had been five-years-old, she had plopped her little red-haired self on her father's lap, begging for stories to send her into happy dreams. In the darkness of night, Nika would listen as her father had told her all sorts of fantastic things about the humongous chocolate factory, spinning her tales of the mysterious man who created the best candy and sugary treats in the world. He would look her in the eye, green meeting sparkling green, and tell her of unmeltable ice cream, gum that never lost its flavor, and of chocolate birds that moved and sang like the real thing. When storytime was over, Danika would head off to bed and dream of the treats her father had told her of.

When she had reached ten years of age, a still-curious Nika had asked her father how he knew of the wonderful things being made by the magnificent chocolatier. It was then that Walter Sinclaire had told the truth: he had once worked for Mr. Willy Wonka in his candy shop (and, eventually, his factory), but had stopped and moved to the States not long after Danika's brother had been born.

"Don't get me wrong, Pumpkin," he hurriedly said, trying to stop a long tirade from his little girl. "I loved working for him, but the thought of a better job for me and a better life for my kids was more important to me than making chocolate."

"Nothing's more important than chocolate!" protested a disgusted Nika. Her father had merely laughed and sent her off to play with her toys.

When her father had run out of stories about the candy, Nika would always ask about Willy Wonka himself, wanting to know more about the man who made people so happy but who still, for some reason, avoided people at all costs. Her father had merely shrugged and shaken his head, not able to give her an answer.

"He always was a strange one," was the response. "He was always flitting from one spot to another, never standing still unless it was to somehow improve his candy."

But Nika wanted to know more about Mr. Wonka, the man behind the chocolate. If he liked making people so happy with his work, why didn't he go outside and talk with them? Surely he wanted to meet the people who so loved him and what he'd done for them! And if not, _why_? She so many questions, and there had only been one way to get her answers: she had to go and find them out for herself.

At 23, a graduate from the local community college and unable to contain herself any longer, Nika had written to her aunt in England and asked if she could come for a 'visit.' Of course, her real motive was to move closer to the infamous factory of legend; what really helped was that her aunt had married a very popular dentist that lived near the factory. Aunt Marian was _ecstatic_ when she heard her beloved niece was coming for a visit, and had told her daughter, Kylie, that a cousin was coming to be a new friend for her to play with.

A week later, Nika was on her aunt's doorstep with much more than the promised two weeks worth of baggage. Aunt Marian and Uncle Geoffrey had been less than pleased when Nika had announced her intention to move into their home in England, but after much pleading, they had agreed to let her stay until she'd found employment and a home of her own. Coincidentally, Uncle Geoff had an opening for a file clerk at his dental office, and had graciously hired Nika for the position. His excuse for hiring her was that his willowy, red-haired niece with the bright green eyes would be better at greeting guests than an old man like him (even though he was only in his mid-40s).

Sighing, Danika again turned her attention towards her young charge. Kylie had become quite attached to the cousin she had only known for six short months. The family resemblance was undeniable: the two girls had the red hair that ran in the Irish side of their family (Kylie through her mother and Nika though her father), though Kylie's was lighter and more golden because of Uncle Geoff's blonde locks. The two could even be mistaken for siblings, and often were whenever Nika volunteered to go on Kylie's school field trips. Even though Nika had green eyes and Kylie had pretty blue-grey eyes, it was still sweet to have people come up to them and exclaim what a wonderful pair of sisters the two of them made.

'_Not to mention we share the same love of everything Willy Wonka_,' Nika thought, smirking to herself.

Honestly, was it truly _her_ fault that Kylie loved the stories about Willy Wonka as much as her older cousin did? Well, perhaps it didn't help that Nika kept the little girl up past her bedtime, enchanting them both with stories about what possibly went on behind the closed doors of the factory only eight blocks away. It still blew her mind that she lived so close, and yet so far away, from the man her father had worked for so long ago.

'_I refused to give up, though_,' Nika thought as she tried to focus on keeping Kylie from getting too close to the lion cages. '_I want to find out how he makes those wonderful flavors and where he gets his ideas from. I want to see the machines that make the candy and the ice cream that won't melt_.'

Letting out a dreamy sigh, Danika tore her mind away from Willy Wonka just long enough to prevent one of the boys from trying to arm-wrestle a chimp through the bars of a cage.

* * *

The walk back to the school was uneventful, for the most part. Most of the kids stopped to stare at the factory for a good five minutes before Mrs. Baker moved them on, but the rest of it was quiet. The kids had worked off the rest of their energy at the zoo, and now their teacher and her volunteer aid could think in peace. 

"Nika?"

Well, peace for the most part…

"Yes, Kylie?" Nika replied, trying not to rub her eyes in exhaustion.

"Do you remember what I said earlier, about sneaking into Mr. Wonka's factory?"

"Of course," she replied, smiling fondly at the little girl next to her. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, if I managed to sneak into the factory, what would you want me to get for you?" Kylie asked, giving her most innocent look as she spoke.

Nika raised an eyebrow. "Well, first of all, I'd like a chance to go in with you so I could talk to Mr. Wonka about all of his ideas and everything," she slowly replied. "But besides that, I'd like a chance to get one of his candies before he put them out for the public to eat." Nika looked down at her cousin with suspicion written all over her face. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason!" Kylie quipped as she skipped down the street towards her cousin's apartment, which was two blocks away from her own. "Are you coming to dinner tonight?"

"Sorry, kiddo, but you guys wore me out," Danika joked, though she somewhat meant what she said. "I need to go home and rest before work tomorrow; your dad has lots of patients coming in to get their teeth cleaned, and I've got to be ready for them."

"Oh, okay."

Nika could hear the disappointment in the little girl's voice, but there was nothing she could do about it. She really did need to get home, and that was that. Well, maybethere was _one_ thing guaranteed to cheer Kylie up...

"I promise to take you out for hot fudge sundaes tomorrow, though," she said, holding her hand up to swear. "Then I'll tell you even more about what I think is going on in that factory."

"Yay!"

It was just the response Nika was looking for. Smiling, the two girls made their way home.

* * *

That night: 

Taking a quick glance around, Kylie Murdock made sure the coast was clear. She could get in a lot of trouble for this, but if it made Nika happy (and got Kylie some sort of fame among the other kids), then she was all for it! Her parents would probably ground her for life for breaking-and-entering, not to mention theft, but it was all worth it for this opportunity!

So, taking one last look around, Kylie slipped through the gaps in the bars of the huge iron gates of the Wonka factory, intent on getting a prize for her cousin and for herself.

* * *

A pair of violet eyes widened in disbelief at what they saw. How _dare_ a person try and sneak into his factory! Well, people had tried it before, but they had always given up when they couldn't make it past the gates or the walls surrounding the property. This person was small enough to slip through the bars of the gate, and was too small to be a grown up, so it had to be a child…a fairly brave one, too, to actually get the nerve to try and get past _his_ walls. Turning, he decided to deal with the little lawbreaker himself.

* * *

Nika had thought a short walk in the brisk autumn air would do her some good, considering she couldn't sleep. She was going to be dead on her feet tomorrow at work, but who cared? Uncle Geoff wasn't a demanding boss; he might even let her take a nap during lunch if she felt she needed it! 

Breathing in the crisp air, Nika decided to walk past the factory and take a small sniff of the chocolate air that floated around it. The delicious, warm, sugary smell always soothed her and would likely be just the thing she needed to get her in the mood for sleep. Besides, she'd run out of that vanilla hot chocolate mix which usually put her to sleep, so a small whiff of chocolaty air might have an even better effect, wouldn't it?

She was walking by the front gates when she spotted a tiny figure she'd recognize anywhere.

"Kylie?" she gasped, not trusting what she was seeing.

Sure enough, there was her little cousin, slipping ever closer to the front doors of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory! When she finally reached the three huge doors, she saw the little girl raise her hand and feel around as though searching for a doorknob. To her surprise and horror, Danika saw a hidden door suddenly slide open and a cold pale hand reach out to grab her cousin and pull her inside.

Panicked, Nika rushed towards the gate, intent on saving her cousin. There was no other way for her to get inside other than to climb the impossibly tall gates that barred her from getting to Kylie. Fortunately, her feet were slender enough to fit between the bars of the gate, holding her up as she climbed, worried for her cousin's safety. Nika wasn't a very physically active person by nature, but the need to help her cousin gave her the adrenaline she needed to clamor over the one thing which blocked her way inside.

Once over the gate, Nika let herself drop to the ground and raced for the huge entryway she'd last seen Kylie approach minutes before. She somehow managed to get one of the doors open…and came face to face with a cold amethyst stare and the palest skin she'd ever seen in her life.

"Here to steal my recipes no doubt..."

* * *

AN: Well, there's chapter two. Sorry about the lack-of-Wonka, but he'll be in the next chapter, we swear! Please let us know what you think, we love input from readers! 


	3. Sacrifice

Disclaimer: If we owned Willy Wonka, we'd be sitting with him in the Chocolate Room in his factory, listening to the Oompa Loompas dance and sing for us. Sadly, we don't, so here's the fic we made up to compensate for our lack of everything Wonka.

A/N: We're truly sorry that there wasn't much Wonka in the last chapter; however, there is a lot more of him in this chapter! We hope you're liking it so far and don't forget, reviews inspire us to write about Oompa Loompas!

**Chapter 3-Sacrifice:**

"What are you talking about? I just came in here to get my cousin," Nika said, a confused look on her face.

"You sent this little one in to steal my ideas! And then you came in after her when you saw me grab her!" cried Mr. Wonka, his indigo eyes piercing through her green ones.

"No, I didn't send her in to steal your ideas! I…" Nika tried to explain.

He cut her off.

"So she is a spy for someone else? Aha!" The much taller chocolatier had her poor cousin by the hand and yanked her arm up. Kylie stood on her tiptoes to keep from being lifted completely off the ground.

"No, please let her go, she didn't do anything harmful. Just, please, let her go and we'll leave." Nika pleaded.

"I don't think so," Mr. Wonka frigidly replied, his eyes turning even more emotionless than before. "She trespassed on private property. I think instead of turning her into the police, I'll just keep her here and have her work for me. She'll never get the chance to break-and-enter again," he said, a cold smile working its way onto his face.

"You're hurting her, just let her go for now, at least?" she asked.

"You'll have to speak up, I can't hear you very well," he said, holding a hand up to his ear, as though mocking her.

'_Could this really be Mr. Wonka? The man I've always wanted to meet?'_ Danika thought in surprise and dismay. Kylie was struggling to get free of his grasp, but his purple latex-gloved hand wouldn't budge. '_How could a man who brings such happiness to people be so heartless_?'

"You may go, but she stays with me," he said lowering the girl's arm at last.

"She still has her whole life ahead of her. She's just a little girl; can't you just let her go? Please?" Nika begged, her eyes rimming with tears. A feeling of hopelessness was setting into her heart.

"No," was all he said.

"Then, will you take me instead?" she asked, desperate for Kylie's release. It was the only thing she could think of doing, and Nika prayed it would work.

The gloved hand suddenly let go of the little girls arm. Kylie rushed over and grabbed her cousin around the waist, visibly trembling from fear. Nika wrapped her arms around her, doing her best to try and sooth her as best she could.

"What did you say?" he asked, taking a step closer in disbelief.

At the sound of his voice, Kylie whimpered in fear as she shifted around her cousin, hiding behind her in an attempt to get away from the man who had frightened her and held her prisoner.

"I said, will you take me instead?" Nika replied, trying her best not to let her emotions show.

Looking from the woman to the little girl behind her, Mr. Wonka came to a quick conclusion.

"She is free to go, but you stay with me," he said turning his back on the two.

Nika dropped down on her knees in front of Kylie, holding the little girl tightly by the shoulders and looking her deep in the eye, showing how serious the situation was. She swore she could see her cousin's heartbreak at the idea of leaving her behind, but there wasn't really a choice.

"Run home, tell your mom and dad what happened, okay? I love you, Kylie," she said, hugging her cousin and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Kylie hugged her back, then nodded and took off sprinting out the door, through the gate, and down the street.

Standing up, Nika followed Mr. Wonka down the hallway of the factory, her head hanging low, wondering what he was going to do to her.

* * *

Kylie raced home as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. She had to tell her parents what had happened. They had to save Nika from that scary man. Kylie's mind had already begun to spin a web of thoughts about what the man could be doing to her cousin at that very moment. 

When she reached her home, her mother and father were thankfully still awake in the living room. She rushed in and started trying to tell them what had happened as fast as she could.

"Whoa, slow down poppet," her father said, placing both hands on her shoulders to try and calm her down. "Now, what happened?"

"Nika's just been taken into his factory!" Kylie exclaimed.

"Who's factory," her mother asked.

"Willy Wonka's! He tried to take me, but she said she would stay instead! We have to go help her!" Kylie said exasperatedly, as if her parents should have known. The two adults glanced at each other with a knowing look.

"Why don't you go to bed sweetie, we'll figure all this out," Geoff replied, patting her on the head.

"But Nika's in trouble, we need to go help her!" Kylie shouted, trying to get them to understand what had happened.

"Just go to bed, we'll fix this, Kylie." Marian ordered, pointing upstairs towards the bedroom.

Kylie stared at her mother, open-mouthed with anger, but obliged, quickly defeated by her parents. Stalking up to her room, Kylie felt renewed tears stream down her cheeks. She knew they didn't believe her. Throwing herself onto her bed she let the tears flow as she looked out her window at the factory she'd dreamt about so often. As her eyes drifted shut, Kylie tried not to think about what could possibly be happening to her beloved older cousin in the hands of the world's most beloved chocolatier.

* * *

Nika nervously followed the tall man down numerous corridors, lost in thought. She knew Aunt Marian and Uncle Geoff wouldn't believe Kylie; they had joked so much about being abducted and taken into the factory that her aunt and uncle would just think it as one of their many silly games. Oh, well, she had thought it was at least worth a try. Trying not to cry, Nika looked up at the man in front of her and wondered if this could really be the man who she had looked up to, even fantasized about. 

The chocolate maker was tall, but slumped forward a bit, almost like he was trying to hide inside his long plum coat. Eyes she knew were the color and texture of hard amethysts were set in a face that was pale, obviously from the lack of warmth and light from the sun. His chin-length, reddish-brown hair fell over his pale cheeks, casting his face in shadow. His hat sat high on his head, making him at least a foot taller than he actually was, and he held a candy-filled cane with a black and white swirled ball on top for the handgrip. If the circumstances weren't so disturbing, she would have thought him attractive, even handsome. Pushing those thoughts aside, Nika tried to focus on keeping up with him.

After a while he turned back to face her. "This is your room," he said, pointing at a white door with a gold knocker and doorknob.

Pushing it open, she saw a moderately comfortable room with an average sized bed and a window overlooking the town. It was quiet and dark, reflecting how she felt at the moment. Nika then realized that the room smelled of vanilla, her favorite fragrance, and that the whole décor was an off-white color. Everything from the sheets to the furniture fabrics were the same shade, the woods a deep brown. It was simple, yet elegant. Despite what she thought about Mr. Wonka, she had to admit he had good taste in design.

"Are you sure? This is an awfully nice room for someone you're punishing," Nika said, taking a step into the room.

"Would you rather sleep in the basement? That can be arranged," he said, his voice sending shivers up her spine.

"No, I was merely asking…" she started, but was interrupted.

"Do not question me. You will learn that in time," he snapped, his steely indigo gaze piercing into her own.

"Tell me something, please?" When he raised an eyebrow she continued. "I heard so many stories about Mr. Wonka when I was little. What happened to him? How can you be so cold and heartless when you bring so many people such joy through your candy?"

He sighed and looked away for a moment, then looked back into her eyes. If it was possible, the amethyst orbs seemed even colder than they were before.

"Because no one ever brought me joy; why should I treat them kindly?" he asked, staring her down. She just flinched a little at the hurt she could feel through his statement. "Someone will come for you tomorrow or whenever I desire to see you," he said his voice deathly cold. With that he turned and closed the door behind him.

Nika heard the lock turn and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She sat down on her bed and fell into her pillows, unable to hold back her tears any longer. Sobs racked her body as she felt a wave of depression roll over her body with the realization that she may never leave the factory, or see her family ever again. Soon, the warm smell of vanilla began to calm her, and she was reduced to silent tears until she fell asleep.

* * *

AN: Well, there's chapter 3! We hope that people like it and will review to tell us what they think of our collective work! 


	4. Meeting the Unexpected

Disclaimer: If we owned Willy Wonka, we'd go swimming with him in our own private lake of chocolate and be served very nice drinks by the Oompa Loompas.

AN: Here's the next chapter! We are so thrilled that so many have read and reviewed; it just makes our day to know that you love our work! Thank you all so much, and enjoy!

**Chapter 4: Meeting the Unexpected**:

Wrapped in a cloud of vanilla scent, Nika woke to a fairly dark room with her mouth feeling fuzzy and nasty from not brushing the night before.

'_If Uncle Geoff knew about this, he'd have a fit_,' she thought, running her hands over her face. '_I shouldn't tell him I forgot to brush my teeth again_.'

After rubbing the grit from her eyes, Nika took a quick peek around the bedroom and realized where she was, remembering the events of the previous night. Kylie's attempt to break into the factory, her own attempt to save her cousin from prison and trouble, and getting caught by Mr. Willy Wonka himself. Nika also remembered the deal she had struck with the chocolatier, and promptly buried her face back in her pillow, letting the warm smell of vanilla run over her and pull her back into dreams.

When she awoke, it was to the sound of the door opening and footsteps coming towards the bed. Deciding that it was probably Mr. Wonka coming to check on her, Nika decided to pretend to still be asleep until he left. She really didn't feel like facing the man at the present time. She heard the footsteps stop near the bed before hearing the sound of metal being set on top of wood. He must have placed a breakfast tray on a nearby table. Hearing the footsteps retreat and go out the door, locking it behind him, Nika raised her head and looked around.

The room was still a bit dark, but there was sunshine streaming through the cracks in the drapes over the windows. What time was it? How long had she slept? Nika had no idea, but she needed to know about where she was likely to be spending the rest of her life. Grudgingly getting up from the bed, she walked carefully towards the windows and pulled one open enough to look out of it and see what she could find out about her 'new home'.

The view from her room was amazing. Why, she could see everything from up here! She wasn't aware that they had traveled so far in order to reach the bedrooms, but then, she had been a bit preoccupied at the time. Sighing, Nika allowed her eyes to wander over the city and watch smoke rise from the chimneys of surrounding buildings. Everything looked so small that she wondered how high up she really was. Her father had told her that Mr. Wonka's factory was at least fifty times bigger than any other factory in the world, so she had to be extremely high up in order for her to see almost every house in town!

Shrugging, she turned away from the window and inspected the room. She hadn't had a chance to take a good look last night, since it had been dark, but now that she had the necessary light to see everything by, she was going to see how the infamous chocolatier lived. The coloring was indeed an off-white, almost crème colored, but the wood that made up the furniture wasn't as dark as she imagined. Instead of deep, dark wood, it was a golden-brown that was soft and soothing to look at. It surprised her that this man would have something so warm and inviting in his factory, but everyone's tastes varied, she supposed.

Nika's gaze traveled to a side table and there was a breakfast tray sitting there on a side table, a piece of paper or an envelope lying propped up against a tray cover. Walking over to the tray, she saw that it was indeed an envelope. The front of it was blank, but she knew it was for her. After all, she'd never given the man her name when they met, so how could he address it to her? Sighing, Nika put the note aside to investigate the contents of the tray. Besides milk and orange juice, she was surprised to see crispy bacon, waffles the size of her palm with strawberry topping and whipped cream, and sausages, all steaming hot and neatly arranged into piles on a purple plate. What surprised her was that there was enough food on the tray to feed at least three people!

"I hope that isn't a sign that he's going to keep me locked in here all day," Nika muttered to herself as she set the cover aside and picked up a fork and knife. Once she finished as much of the food as she could hold, Nika put the cover back on the tray and picked up the letter.

_Dear Unexpected Guest,_

_Welcome to my humble chocolate factory. While you are a guest in my home, I hope that you will enjoy your stay here. You should also know that how I decide what you are to do for me as a worker here in the factory it will depend greatly on your behavior the next few days. The first thing you are to do is to dress nicely in what is provided in your closet for dinner with me tonight at 6:00 this evening._

_Your Host,_

_Mr. Willy Wonka_

"He's _got_ to be kidding!" Nika cried, crumpling the note and tossing it across the room.

The man could not be serious about the dinner thing. Sure, she'd work at the factory or whatever he wanted her to do (though she didn't know what the heck he was going to _pay_ her when she couldn't leave), but the dinner thing was too much! There was no way she was going to dinner with that guy!

'_Not for all the chocolate in the factory_,' Nika thought to herself as she made her way to the bathroom. As soon as she opened the door, her jaw dropped.

Everything was white marble, from the walls down to the floor. The taps on the sink and bathtub were gold, and the rug on the floor by the tub was so thick it looked like you could sleep comfortably on it and not notice you were on the floor! As she walked towards the tub, Nika noticed several bottles and small boxes arranged on a gold-colored tray. The bottles were made of delicate glass and were in different shades of purple, blue, green, red, and frosted white, all of them sporting gold designs.

Picking up the purple bottle, Nika took a tiny sniff…and sneezed, hard. It was an odd mixture of blueberry and some sort of flower; whatever it was, Nika could tell she was allergic to the flower scent because blueberries never bothered her. Setting the purple bottle on the far side of the tray, Nika went for a different choice. The blue bottle smelled odd, but tasty, too; she would keep that one for sure. The green smelled of mint, the red of berries she couldn't quite place, and the white smelled of French vanilla and brown sugar.

The soaps were much different. _Where_ and _how_ Mr. Wonka had managed to get these items on such short notice was beyond her, but he had. All of them had a flower theme that went well with the bubble bath scents, and Nika spent quite some time arranging them together to fit her tastes. How much time she spent in the bathroom, she didn't know, but it had to have been a while; her stomach started growling at about the same time a knock sounded at her door.

Expecting it to be Mr. Wonka with her lunch, Nika exited the bathroom and headed for her bedroom. When she reached the doorway between the two rooms, she let out a small shriek.

* * *

The day had not gone well for the Murdock family. Kylie had told her story for the tenth time, and the adults still did not believe her when she said Nika was in the hands (as well as the factory) of Mr. Willy Wonka. Her mom and dad had insisted that, since no one had managed to get though the gates in the past, that no one ever would. It never occurred to them that someone might try and break in like their daughter had, so they simply stuck by what they believed in. 

"But what about Nika not being at her apartment or at work today?" Kylie cried, trying to get her parents to listen to her.

"She might be sick or playing hooky, for all we know," her father replied, impatiently.

"Nika never plays hooky from work or with me!" yelled Kylie. "She promised to take me out for ice cream and you know she never breaks her promises to me!"

She had them there; in all the time she'd been with them, Danika Sinclaire was not one to break her word to her little cousin. Granted, she'd only been living with them or nearby for six months, but Danika was a fiercely loyal young woman, and the idea of her not doing what she promised to do was simply out of the question. With that thought putting it all into perspective, Geoffrey and Marian Murdock were now forced to deal with the possibility that their niece was in serious trouble, and that she would need help…fast.

* * *

Nika wasn't really sure of what to make of the small creature standing in front of her. It was obviously a man, but it was a man that came up to her kneecap! He had tan skin, and dark brown hair and eyes, all well complimented by the black jumpsuit he was wearing. The fabric of the suit was shot with silver while the edges were trimmed in it. If he were normal sized, Nika would have found him to be foolish-looking. As it was, however, she found him to be…well, kind of cute. 

"Um, hello." Blunt, but then, she was too surprised to think of anything else to say.

The little creature simply crossed its arms over its chest and gave a small bow. Not knowing what else to do, Nika followed his example and received a small giggle in response. Looking at the small man, she realized he was smiling at her. She quirked at eyebrow at him and he simply pointed towards the tray on the table. Looking at it, she spotted a folded up note and reached to pick it up.

_Dear Guest_, it began.

'_I've **really** got to tell him my name one of these days_,' Nika thought before continuing on.

_This is Wendell, and he is an Oompa Loompa. To save time on explanations, Oompa Loompas come from Loompa-land and I found them on one of my travels around the world. I quickly decided to bring them here to work in my factory, instead of trying to re-hire those horrible cads that stole my formulas and caused my factory to close down._

_Anyway, Wendell here will be your guide and constant companion on your travels around my factory. Ask him for anything or to take you anywhere, and he will (within reason, of course, some places will be off limits to you during your stay here). If you need anything, pull the gold cord that hangs beside your bed and he'll be there._

_Your Host,_

_Mr. Willy Wonka_

_PS: I expect you to be on time to dinner tonight. Wendell will help you pick out something appropriate._

Jerk.

It was the only thing she thought of before taking a look at the little man next to her, the…Oompa Loompa? The little man simply stood and stared back at her, a small frown on his face; he looked as though he were displeased with her doing nothing besides stand there and look at him. A moment later, he gestured towards the tray, indicating the food he'd brought.

"Oh! Right, I'll eat and then we'll move on from there, shall we?" Nika babbled, unsure as what else she should say.

As she began to eat the ham and red potatoes on her plate, Wendell the Oompa Loompa bowed to her and walked towards the windows, opening them as he moved around the room. Once the food was consumed, Wendell came over and gently, but firmly, tugged on the leg of her jeans, motioning towards the door. Understanding the gesture, Nika stood up and followed the tiny man out the door and into the hallway she hadn't really paid attention to the night before.

It was a long, bland hall, the walls black, the ceiling and floor white. The doors varied in colors, but hers was the only white door in the hall. Walking down the odd passage, Nika could read plaques on the doors, indicating what door was what. This was obviously the wing of the factory where bedrooms were located; the labels read Strawberry Bedroom, Cherry Bedroom, and Coffee Bedroom (which must be impossible to sleep in when trying to get some rest).

'_If they're as amazing as the room I sleep in, I want to see them all_!' she thought, trying her best to keep up with the quick Oompa Loompa.

A moment later, Wendell led her into a brightly lit room that was full of cloths of so many colors and patterns that it made her head spin. Six other Oompa Loompas approached from various corners of the room and pointed to a pedestal, indicating that she should get on it. Four of them produced measuring tapes for them to take her measurements while two others held clipboards and they immediately got to work.

A few minutes later, Nika found herself back in the hallway with Wendell leading the way. This time, he led her to an immense door which, when opened, led into the largest library she'd ever seen in her life! It had to be four stories high, and the length of a football field! She didn't know why Mr. Wonka had so many books, but right now, she didn't care; she was going to enjoy herself by reading until her eyes felt like they were going to fall out!

She saw Wendell wave toward the shelves before scurrying off somewhere, leaving her in this haven of books. Walking around and reading the titles she could reach, Nika reached out and selected "_The Phantom of the Opera_," because she thought it appropriate for this particular situation. As she read her selection, the soundtrack for the film filled her head and before she knew it, she was set adrift in dreams of dark men in capes and top hats with purple eyes that blazed like fire caught in gemstones.

* * *

AN: Tada! Hope that you liked it! Sorry about the lack of Wonka again, but he'll be in the next chapter, which is when things are going to get a bit messy, so stick around for when the fun starts to happen! Review! 


	5. No More Food

_Disclaimer: WE OWN WILLY WONKA! (They see the big scary security guards coming towards them) ACTION FIGURES!_

A/N: um…here's chapter 5…YAY!

Chapter 5:-No more Food!

When Nika woke up from her marvelous dream of strange men in capes, she blinked a few times to get used to the light. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms forward and leaning back in the comfortable reading chair. She casually looked at her watch and saw that it was almost five o'clock.

'_How did I sleep so long?'_ she thought. "Ah well," she said aloud, "back to the insanity we call the Real World." Soon after, Wendell came and led her back to her room to get ready for her 'appointment' with Mr. Wonka. When they were safely in the vanilla haven she called her room, Nika turned to the small man.

"I'm not going." She said simply. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she sighed.

"Why does he even think I want to see him? He threatened to kidnap my cousin, he's holding me hostage, and he's incredibly cold and rude when he speaks to me! How can he possibly think that I would agree to sit down and eat with him?" she asked the Oompa Loompa exasperatedly. The Wendell shrugged and pointed at the bathroom and the table where her meals were brought.

"Good food and a nice bathroom are not enough to condone his actions," she said sitting on her bed, her arms crossed. The small man grabbed a beautiful outfit off the foot of her bed and held it up to her, as if asking one more time whether she was sure of the matter.

"No, I'm not going," she said stubbornly. "If he wants to see me, he'll have to come here and get me." With a curt nod, she ended the conversation.

* * *

Six o'clock came and went and at five minutes after, Willy Wonka summoned Wendell to him. "Where is the young lady?" he asked. It seemed that the Oompa Loompas were the only people he was kind to. 

The short man whispered something in the candy man's ear that did NOT make him very happy. "SHE SAID WHAT!" he roared. The Oompa Loompa timidly told him the rest of what she'd said.

Quickly grabbing up his cane, Willy Wonka made his way angrily up to her room. When he reached her door, he paced in front of it a few times before knocking on the door.

"Go away!" came a reply from inside.

"How dare you tell me to go away? You **_will_** come down and have dinner with me!" he yelled at the door.

"Oh no, I won't!" she replied. He growled angrily and stomped back and forth in front of the door. Her guardian Oompa Loompa tugged on his jacket tails and whispered something in his ear. He lightly tapped on the door and sighed.

"Will you p…p…please come down to dinner with me?" he asked seeming to have a difficulty with a certain word. She didn't reply for a moment, obviously startled by his sudden change in attitude, but the answer came soon enough.

"No," she finally said. Mr. Wonka had held his anger in the best he could for as long as he could. Growling, he let his anger wash over him as he burst out saying the first thing that came to mind.

"FINE!" he roared, "IF YOU WON'T EAT WITH ME, YOU DON'T EAT AT ALL!"

"Fine!" was her response. He was about to stalk off when he heard a small sob come from her room.

"Serves her right," he said to Wendell. "She gets no food unless she decides to eat with me!" The small Oompa Loompa looked up at him strangely. When he saw the serious look in the indigo gaze, the tiny man nodded and hurried off into her room via a small door made especially for Oompa Loompas during events like this.

* * *

The next morning Danika woke up with very red eyes. She had cried herself to sleep again, and it was defiantly showing. She rubbed her eyes gently and just lay in bed. She had heard Mr. Wonka's order to Wendell the night before: she was not to eat unless she would eat with him. Maybe she should have just gone and toughed it out. 

"Well, you can't change that now," she said aloud. Sighing she collapsed back into her pillows, wondering how she was going to pass the time. After half an hour of staring at the ceiling she heard a faint knock.

"Come in.," she said flatly. The door opened and a small platter of food came through the doorway. Sitting up to get a better look, she saw Wendell and a few other Oompa Loompas carrying it.

Danika looked down at them from her bed. "I thought Mr. Wonka said I wasn't supposed to eat." She said. The small man motioned for her to be quiet, and she realized that this Oompa Loompa apparently felt sorry for her and decided to help her. She nodded.

"Thank you," she said smiling. The Oompa Loompas crossed his arms over his chest and put them back down to his sides as the other Oompa Loompas put the platter on the table.

Nika made to get up, but Wendell held up his hand to stop her. The others were lined up near the foot of her bed so she crawled down to see what they were doing. Wendell joined them and began to dance. Watching them her eyes lit up in wonder and amusement as they did several acrobatic moves like pyramids and such; but the thing that she liked most was when one Oompa Loompa imitated Mr. Wonka with a small make shift top hat and cane. Soon she began laughing and clapping her hands, and the Oompa Loompas smiled at her.

"Thank you," Nika said, still coming down from her fits of laughter. "You really cheered me up!" Each Oompa Loompa crossed their arms over their chests then down to their side. Not knowing what else to do, she mimicked their movements and they all burst into laughter.

Still in a cheerful mood, Nika shared her rather large meal with the Oompa Loompas, still giggling whenever one of them put on the little top hat and did a little dance while still seated. It was one of the best times she'd had here so far.

* * *

A/N: Okay, we're sorry we didn't have many ideas for the dance sequence, but it was the best we could get without prematurely putting stuff in there from the movie. We also thought we'd tell you how much we love all the reviews we've received, and would like to thank everyone for reviewing. It makes us and our muses happy when people review, so don't hesitate to click the little review button at the bottom of the page! Thanks again! 


	6. Flashbacks and Second Chances

Disclaimer: We own Willy Wonka. (Hears whispering from offstage) Oh, we don't? (More whispering) Damn it, they're right, we don't… (Mutters something about stupid lawyers and lawsuits)

AN: Here is another chapter! We're so happy that people love this story, your reviews really cheer us up (as well as our Oompa Loompa helpers)!

**Chapter 6: Flashbacks and Second Chances:**

The next morning, as he was sitting at his desk in his Inventing Room, Willy Wonka found himself unable to concentrate on his work. He couldn't understand why his creativity was so lacking this morning, but for some reason, his heart wasn't in it. It was unusual that the ideas for new candies didn't come the moment he sat down, but today he had other things to think about, things much different from sugar, chocolate and caramel.

The instant his thoughts strayed from his sugary confections, he found them drifting towards the red-haired young woman with the bright green eyes upstairs in the guest rooms. She looked almost the exact replica of someone he'd known so long ago, someone he'd wanted to see again, but hadn't since the day he'd closed his doors to workers and public alike.

'_I wouldn't have had to close if it weren't for those vicious cads who stole my recipes_,' he thought, his hand breaking the pencil he was holding.

The truth was, Willy Wonka was unhappy that the people he'd trusted the most, the people who were supposed to be his friends and supporters, had turned into such horrible beasts. Willy had always had faith that there was at least some good in everyone, and that his candy could make that small spark come out and shine. The fact that people like Slugworth and other candy makers had been vile enough to play him like an idiot had hurt, and had ruined his faith in ever finding a good person ever again. Everyone was now a traitor, turned against him and scared his heart against trust.

'_Everyone except Marian_,' Willy thought, his violet eyes glazing over.

He sighed. Marian, the lovely red-haired teenager that had worked with the lollypops and had been so cheerful…he'd never met anyone so sweet and chipper in his life. She was always happy to see him, and was always courteous whenever she addressed him and told him of any problems with the machines. He'd loved the girl, but never told her…he knew from factory gossip that she was smitten over another man, some stranger new to town.

Willy winced. Finding out that the girl of his dreams was in love with another had hurt, but he'd gotten over it…eventually. He never knew what happened to Marian, but he'd heard rumors of a wedding in town over 8 years ago, one where a redheaded bride married a handsome blond dentist. It was the _dentist_ part that hurt the most.

'_After all, my own f-f-f-f…._' he couldn't finish the thought. Let's just say that someone from his past was a dentist, and he didn't have fond memories of that person.

But he had fond memories of Marian, and this young guest of his looked remarkably like her. The red hair, green eyes…could this girl be a relative of Marian's? The idea was like a slap in the face, causing Willy to jerk back in his seat. Did he unwittingly have someone related to his past love in his grasp? Could she tell him what he wanted to know about her and what had happened so far in the past 15 years?

He quickly pulled a cord and was greeted by several Oompa Loompas, all eager to help him. Willy didn't think he needed four of them to do this one task, but it never hurt to be prepared. He motioned to them to come forward.

"You all know of the young lady staying upstairs in the Vanilla Room, right?" All of them nodded. "Well, I need to find out the name of that young lady, and since she's not likely to talk to me right now, I need the four of you to do it as soon as possible. Okay?"

The four Oompa Loompas crossed their arms over their chests and bowed before scurrying off. Sighing, Willy sat in his chair, casting aside his broken pencil and picking up a new one. His eyes once again glazed over as he thought about red hair and green eyes, his pencil soon tapping out a rhythm on the desk before him.

* * *

Nika was again greeted with very large, well-prepared meals for breakfast and lunch. However, lunch was a surprise when Wendell held up a note to her after she'd eaten.

"Is this from Mr. Wonka?" she asked suspiciously.

The idea nearly choked her; she really wanted nothing to do with the factory owner right now. Wendell merely shook his head and gestured towards the piece of paper. Opening it, she found the handwriting to be far different from Mr. Wonka's flowing scroll. This person's writing was small, barely large enough to read, and Nika knew that the Oompa Loompas themselves must have written this.

_Dearest Guest,_

_We humbly request your name and where you are from. We cannot call you "guest" for your entire stay with us as it would be impolite. We patiently await your reply._

Looking down, Nika saw at least ten of the little people waiting for a reply. It would be rude not to answer, and they at least deserved to know her name!

"My name is Danika Sinclaire," she said. "And I moved here from America about six months ago to live with my Aunt Marian, my Uncle Geoff, and their daughter Kylie."

The Oompa Loompas all nodded and one made a gesture that she couldn't understand. Her confusion was apparently obvious to the small people as one of them took the paper from her and scribbled a note. Looking it over, she saw that they wanted to know more about her family and her life before all this had happened.

So, after making sure everyone was comfortable, Nika told them all about her father, the stories he'd told, and her desire to meet Mr. Wonka himself. She then told them of how much her cousin Kylie loved Willy Wonka tales as well, had tried to break into the factory just to please Nika. The story progressed to how Kylie had been caught and Nika had come racing in to save her little cousin, which led to why she was here and her cousin wasn't.

"And that's the whole deal," she said, sighing as the story ended.

The Oompa Loompas had simply patted her hand or arm (wherever they could reach) in comfort and smiled at her. Smiling back, she watched as they left, leaving only Wendell behind. Turning her head towards him, she gave him a smile and asked a favor.

"Could you take me back to the library?"

* * *

Impatiently waiting for a reply from his workers, Willy Wonka paced his way through the Inventing Room for the tenth time. He knew there was a chance that the girl wouldn't answer to the Oompa Loompas. Then again, they'd been nice to her, and they were just so gosh-darn cute that Willy pretty much figured that she'd answer their questions with no trouble at all. The fact that she'd talk to the tiny people and not him slightly irked him, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Well, besides try and be nice, that is…

When the door to the Inventing Room opened, Willy nearly leapt out of his skin in surprise. He saw the four Oompa Loompas he'd sent earlier come in and began talking. The information presented surprised him beyond measure. Her name was Danika Sinclaire and she was the niece of his secret crush, who had indeed been the red-headed bride who had married a dentist. Marian had borne a child, a girl, who was named Kylie. So if Nika was Marian's niece, and she said she'd come in to save her cousin, then that meant…

"Holy Lollipops, I've manhandled Marian's daughter!" Willy yelled, shocking the Oompa Loompas out of their wits.

He was going to have one heck of a time forgiving himself for that one! It hurt, the thought of harming Marian's little girl, but it hurt even more that he was holding her niece hostage or captive or whatever you want to call it. Still, he couldn't let the young woman, Danika, go or she'd tell the whole world what she'd seen. She knew too much already, and Willy wasn't willing to risk some of his original ideas (or his beloved Oompa Loompas) because Miss Sinclaire babbled her experiences to the entire planet! Some of his candy rivals would only be too glad to snatch up those clever inventions, and he couldn't bear that happening again.

'_Still, the least I could do is be nice to the poor girl_,' Willy thought to himself. '_She **is** a guest in my factory, after all_.'

On the other hand, human contact wasn't really his '_thing_.' Willy Wonka _really_ didn't like talking to people, but when presented with a captive guest, he really didn't have a choice about not interacting with them. Plus, Danika was much better-looking than the Oompa Loompas (no offence to his little friends and workers).

But she was also, well, _female_. Willy Wonka hadn't spoken to one non-Oompa Loompa female in the fifteen years since he'd closed his factory! What was he supposed to say to her? How was he supposed to act? He'd tried being polite last night, and look where it got him! Still, he supposed that politeness was going to be the key in winning his guest over, so he might as well start now.

"Better late then never," he muttered to himself.

Looking down, he saw that the four Oompa Loompas were still standing there, waiting for further instructions. Waving a hand at them to send them away, Willy decided to give courtesy one last shot. Straightening his hat and coat before snatching up his cane, Willy Wonka headed up towards the guest quarters of his factory, his mind focused on a pair of green eyes framed with red hair.

* * *

AN: There's chapter 6! We hope you enjoyed it, so don't forget to review! 


	7. You've Decided

Disclaimer: Willy Wonka is not owned by us (despite our many kidnapping attempts). We're only using him in the nicest way possible (thus far) for this story. (wink, wink)

A/N: Hello again to all of our wonderful readers and reviewers! We just thought we'd mention that one of the authors starts school Tuesday, and therefore, updates will be a _tiny_ bit slower while she fights the evil creatures we call "homework" and "studying." Please be patient with us! Thanks!

**Chapter 7- You've Decided**:

Approaching Danika's room, Willy tried his best to make himself look somewhat presentable. He straightened his coat, tugging at the ends to make them more even, and repositioned his hat on his head. He reached her door shortly after and knocked. When no response came, he knocked again. Finally he called out to her.

"Danika, are you in there?" he asked.

A passing Oompa Loompa tugged on the tails of his coat, drawing his attention downwards. "Yes?" he asked. The Oompa Loompa whispered something in his ear and he smiled. "That's even better!" the candy man said, straightening upright. He made his way to the library, his heels and cane echoing in the empty halls.

Quietly entering the large room, he saw the woman sitting with her back to him, her nose in a book. Willy silently thanked the giant chocolate maker in the sky that he had put carpet in the Library.

Sneaking up behind her, he read a few lines over her shoulder in his head and instantly knew which book she had chosen. _"The Phantom of the Opera"_ was a personal favorite of his as he often found that he placed himself in the role of the Phantom. Most people saw him as a freak, and tried to trick him out of his recipes because of it. Then, when he had learned of Marian's love for another man, he felt as if they had taken the corresponding roles: Willy as the rejected Phantom, Marian as the lovely Christine, and the unknown man as Raoul, the keeper of the lovely lady's heart.

In another point of view, he could also imagine how Danika related to the book, as she was being held captive in a place where daylight and the outside world seemed to ever elude her. He decided then and there that a few well-arranged visitations with her family were in order; he could at least allow her that one ray of sunshine in her life.

Deciding that it was time that his presence was made known, he straightened quietly and closed his eyes reciting a quote by the Phantom that was on the page she was reading.

"_Look! You wanted to see! Now see! Feast your eyes; sate your soul with my cursed ugliness! Look at Eric's face! Now you know the face of the Voice! It wasn't enough for you to hear me, was it? You wanted to know what I looked like, you women are so curious!" _he ended his act with a harsh, rumbling, powerful fit of laughter that added the perfect touch.

* * *

Nika was just about to read Christine's explanation of the Phantom's reaction when she heard a menacing voice from behind her. She turned quickly and saw none other than Willy Wonka standing behind her. She listened to him in awe as he recited the line with a great passion, as if he had been the one who wrote it. Danika felt a wave of guilt flow over her as the words spilled from his mouth.

She realized that the Willy Wonka's quote of Phantom's words perfectly described _why_ she was trapped in this factory. Sure, she had come to rescue her cousin, but she had wanted to meet him, the man behind the chocolate, too. Those words of longing to see the great chocolatier had come out of her mouth to her cousin. She hadn't just been happy with the stories of him, she _had_ to move in with her Aunt and Uncle, just to get closer to the man!

His laugh brought her back to reality. Once again, she realized that it sounded genuine, and it frightened her a bit.

"I love that book. I've read it so many times, I can practically recite the whole thing," he said, giving her a mischievous smirk.

"It's a very good book, no doubt," she said, nodding. He smiled down at her, though it was the first time she had ever seen him do so and mean it.

"I wanted to ask again if you would p…please have dinner with me tonight," he said, his amethyst eyes almost pleading for her to agree.

Nika sighed and made the mistake of looking into those violet eyes; the pleading in those eyes was enough to make almost any girl cave in to what he asked.

"Do you understand why I didn't eat with you last night?" she asked, somewhat calm. He raised an eyebrow inviting her to continue. "I can't be ordered around. I'm not a mindless robot; I have feelings, too, you know. I'd rather do things when I'm _asked_ to do." She explained.

Willy nodded, his eyes showing a slight hurt. "All right, then," he said, taking her words as a rejection. "I guess I'll go back to working…" he turned his back to her and started towards the door.

"Wait," she said. "I haven't answered you." He turned around to face her, his eyes filled with hope.

"Yes, I will have dinner with you tonight. After all, it would be a shame to put that beautiful dress to waste," she said, smiling. He warmly returned her smile.

"Thank you, Danika," he said. With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the library.

Wondering if the Oompa Loompas had told him her name, Danika settled down in the chair to continue reading.

* * *

A few hours later, Danika was in her room, still reading her book, when Wendell came and gave her an envelope. Taking it and opening it, she quickly read the short note.

_Danika,_

_I expect you at six thirty tonight for dinner. I have a surprise for you afterwards._

_William Wonka_

She looked up at Wendell and raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you tell him my name?" The Oompa Loompa thought for a moment then nodded.

Danika smiled down at the Oompa Loompa. "Well at least he's not writing 'Dear guest' anymore," she said. The Oompa Loompa chuckled and ushered for her to get ready.

* * *

Willy sat at the table, waiting for Wendell to bring the young woman to the small formal dining room he had near the guest rooms. He slid down in his chair. Willy knew he wasn't a "people person". In fact, he never had been one in the first place. He was perfectly happy talking with the Oompa Loompas, especially since they weren't complicated and didn't judge you based on something you said.

Just then, one of the said Oompa Loompas came in and stood next to him. "Yes?" he asked. The Oompa Loompa gestured that the girl was outside. "Then bring her in," he said, standing up and straightening his coat.

When Danika walked in, he made a note to let the Oompa Loompa women make her clothing from now on. The dress she wore looked almost medieval style. It fell to her ankles in forest green folds that made her look even taller, drawing close to her form around the waist and upper arms. The neckline formed a 'v' in the middle of her chest, making her look almost innocent. The sleeves were bell-shaped, with the top edge stopping at her fingertips and the bottom edge stopping somewhere just below her knees. It was beautiful, yes, but the way it clung to her form it showed how thin she really was. He wondered how such a fragile creature could stand there and not break from the weight of the heavy material surrounding her form.

She smiled slightly as he motioned to the seat across from him, and sat down as their food was brought out. Not much was said during dinner, just a few awkward sentences, really. Finally, Willy stood up and motioned for her to follow him. "It's time for that surprise I told you about," he said.

His surprise was to take her on a tour of the factory. He showed her most of the rooms in the factory, and her eyes lit up every time they stopped at one. It was priceless when he showed her the rooms where he kept his hair cream and all other candy creams. The greatest reaction was the way she understood why he made whipped cream the way he did. As they came to a room labeled 'The Inventing Room,' Willy tried to divert her attention away from it.

"You wouldn't want to see this room," he said, tugging on her hand.

"Sure I would," she said, craning her head around so that she could try and see what was inside through a crack in the door.

"No you wouldn't," he replied, blocking her path. "Besides, I told you in my first note to you that you wouldn't be allowed into some of the rooms of the factory, and this is one of them."

"But you let me see all of the other rooms!" Nika protested, hands on her hips. "Why won't you let me see this one?"

"I have my reasons," Willy growled, his violet eyes narrowing. "Believe me when I say that I have them."

"And what would those reasons be, Mr. Wonka?" Nika replied, trying to keep a sneer off her face. She swore that this man was getting more stubborn and rude by the second, and it was seriously annoying her.

Willy did his best not to snap at the girl; after all, she didn't know any better about what happened so long ago, so he might as well tell her and get it over with.

"You want to know why?" he said, trying to keep his temper in check. "It's because I find that not all people are worthy enough to see what goes on behind the wonder of my chocolate factory, that's why!"

Nika simply stared at him, her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "_Not worthy?_" she said, unsure as to whether she'd heard right or not. "What do you mean, _not worthy_? Did you even consider the notion that there might be people out in the world who probably deserve to see this factory and that inventing room more than I ever will? And you're standing here, belittling me because you're concerned about whether or not _I'm_ worthy of seeing it!"

Willy's eyes met hers. "No one is worthy after what they did to me," he said, eyes turning hard as gemstones.

"And what exactly did _they _do to _you_?" Nika asked, not believing a word he said. When he didn't answer she sniffed disdainfully at him. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you," she said, mockingly using his own words from the first time they'd met.

"Because the people I trusted most, my beloved workers, betrayed me!" Willy yelled forcing her to take a step back in alarm. " I trusted them and they sold my secret recipes to candy-making cads like Slugworth!"

Nika found herself at a loss for words for a brief moment. After a few moments of silence had passed, she found that she felt sorry for the world's most amazing chocolatier. He'd trusted people to work for him and to keep his secrets _secret_, and to have them do such a thing… no wonder he's lost faith in humanity.

"But surely there must be at least _one_ person in the world that you find worthy of that room," she quietly said. "I mean, besides your Oompa Loompas."

Wily was silent for a moment, as though lost in thought. "There was…one…person…"

"Who?" Nika asked, wanting to know.

"Marian…Sinclaire," Willy whispered, looking deep into Nika's green eyes.

Marian Sinclaire? No, that couldn't be…but if the look Mr. Wonka was giving her was any indication, then yes, he most certainly meant and was speaking of…

"You're talking about my…_aunt_?" she squeaked, her hands suddenly going to her face. _Aunt Marian_?

"Yes," Willy replied. "She worked for me, a long time ago."

Not being able to process any further, Danika's mind and body shut down, and she fell forward. The only thing that stopped her from cracking her head on the floor was Willy Wonka catching her unconscious body.

* * *

AN: How much do each and every one of you envy that girl right now? (Raises hand) We do! Anyway, please leave a little review to let us know how we're doing, it means a lot to us…and it makes us write faster! 


	8. Receiving the Unexpected

Disclaimer: We have successfully kidnapped Willy Wonka, so now he's all ours. (Points to empty corner before noticing its empty) What the…dang it, Tim Burton must have rescued him! Guess that means we (regretfully) own nothing. (Dark mutterings follow)

A/N: Please forgive us if updates are slow, school sucks for one writer and work for another, so please be patient! Thanks!

**Chapter 8: Receiving the Unexpected**:

Nika woke with a pounding head and the smell of vanilla in her nose. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was back in her own room, and Wendell was standing by her bed, a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water in his hands. She instantly held out her own hands and Wendell handed over the glass before emptying out two pills and giving them to her. Nika wasted no time in swallowing them and closing her eyes against the pain. When she woke up an hour later, Nika opened her eyes and saw violet ones staring back at her.

"Gah!" she shrieked, backing away from the intruder.

"Ah!" yelled a male voice in response to her scream.

Wait, she knew that voice! "Oh, God, it's you, Mr. Wonka!" Nika said, her hand pressed against her heart. "Don't ever do that again, please!"

She saw him straighten his hat and coat. "No worries about that, Miss Sinclaire," the chocolate maker said, taking a deep breath as he shifted uncomfortably. "Are you alright, you fainted last night. I had to catch you before you hurt yourself on the floor."

Suddenly, the events of the night before came rushing back to her: her dinner with Mr. Wonka, the tour of the factory, the fight in front of the Inventing Room and the fact that…

"You knew my _aunt_?" she cried, staring at him. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

He sighed. "Because it didn't occur to me until much later that you looked remarkably like the woman I once deeply cared for," he said, obviously trying to keep his temper in check.

"Deeply cared for?" She looked at him closely. "You loved her…" Nika whispered, not knowing whether to be awed or crushed.

"I don't want to talk about it," he snapped, running his hands over the front of his vest. "You're alright now, that's all that matters."

Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, he was almost completely out the door. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around.

"Oh, and for future conversation, please call me Willy," he said. "Being called Mr. Wonka all the time makes me feel old."

With that, he walked out the door and disappeared, leaving a puzzled Nika behind on the bed.

* * *

After she'd dressed in some of the clothes provided by the dressmakers (black pants, white blouse, and some black leather slip-on shoes), Nika spent the rest of the day in the library, going all the way through one of her favorite science fiction books before getting restless enough for a walk. Wendell had left her alone after she'd told him her intention to stay in her '_reader's haven_' for the day, but the Oompa Loompa had thoughtfully brought her lunch, as well as a snack of soft chocolate chip cookies and a pitcher of cold milk. Once she was done with her book, though, Danika had nothing to do (or to eat), so she decided to see if she correctly remembered where the rooms in the factory were.

As she walked, Nika was warmly greeted by Oompa Loompas in various outfits, probably due to the different types of work they did in the factory. She was waved at and frequently offered a taste of a few new creations (one of which scared her when it made a tiny explosion in her mouth). She was thoroughly enjoying herself when she stopped outside the Inventing Room and saw that the door was open a crack. Looking around and spotting no one (not even an Oompa Loompa), Nika took a small peek inside, and gasped.

It was the type of laboratory that would make a mad scientist cry in envy. Tube and containers full of different colored liquids were everywhere, and some were connected to one another in a very complicated manner. There were huge machines everywhere, and Danika could see several Oompa Loompas running around with containers in their hands. One of them spotted her in the doorway and motioned her inside. Not wanting to get in trouble, Nika pulled back from the door and closed it.

'_No way am I going in there uninvited_,' she thought, slowly backing away from the door._ 'The **last** thing I want to do is piss off Mr. Wonka more than he already is!'_

She was six inches away from the door when it opened and an Oompa Loompa reached out, grabbing her sleeve and tugging her inside, the door closing behind her. Somehow she ended up with a pair of black goggles over her eyes, and she couldn't resist walking forward…especially when an Oompa Loompa was tugging her further inwards! Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Nika stepped forward.

'_I didn't know there could be so many different ways to make candy_,' she thought, looking at all of the bubbling, churning, mixing, and all other types of chemical reactions going on around her.

"No, no, no, that's not going to work!" cried a familiar voice.

Nika tried her best not to panic. If he found her here, then she'd be in big trouble. Well, actually, the Oompa Loompas would be in trouble, but she couldn't let that happen to them! They'd probably be alright, though, considering Mr. Wonka didn't want to punish the tiny people for anything, but she couldn't take that chance. Trying to move away slowly, she was stopped by several hands grabbing her clothes and pushing her forward, towards the very-loudly-complaining Mr. Wonka.

"No, that candy obviously won't work! Children will never buy a candy that's sour enough to keep their lips puckered for days, not to mention it turns people yellow!" Scribbling could be heard, as well as the crumpling of paper. "Now I have to find another idea for hard candy!"

Nika walked around a machine that was spewing blue smoke and found a very agitated Willy Wonka pacing back and forth in front of a table. Once he stopped and made to turn around, his hands shot straight up and began waving around, as though he were directing airplanes to land somewhere. She couldn't old back a small snort of laughter when Willy began mouthing words to himself, and it was that small noise of amusement that caught Willy's attention. Whirling around, he spotted her.

"Danika!" he cried, his hands still in the air. "What are you doing here?"

Nika coughed. "Um, the Oompa Loompas insisted that I come in here for some reason," she said, looking around, trying not to make eye contact. "Your Inventing Room is quite lovely, by the way."

Willy seemed at a loss of words for a moment, which the Oompa Loompa workers standing nearby considered a first-time event. The chocolatier simply stood there and blinked at her, trying to fully comprehend what she'd just said to him. His mouth opened and closed several times before finally closing for good, and his lips seemed to twist around all on their own. All in all, it was quite the amusing sight for both the Oompa Loompa and human female audience.

Finally, Nika spoke up. "Um, you can lower your arms now," she said, trying to keep a straight face. "I'm not holding you up or anything."

Willy actually blushed and lowered his hands. "Right, then," he said, straightening his coat. "Well, if the Oompa Loompas think you should be allowed in here, then who am I to argue? They are good judges of character, so I suppose I'd better listen to them just this once."

The tiny men nodded at him before he sent them away to their duties. An awkward silence came between the two, and no eye contact was made, making things even more uncomfortable between them. When Nika finally had enough, she saw that an Oompa Loompa was gesturing towards the table, which held many large sheets of paper on it.

In spite of herself, Nika couldn't help asking, "What are you working on?"

Willy jerked in surprise. "Oh, uh, nothing, j-just a sort of h-hard candy for ch-children," he stuttered, standing in front of what were obviously his future plans.

"Oh," she said, looking away towards a machine that was steaming pink smoke that smelled like blueberries. "You know, the only problem I've had with hard candy is that it always dissolves just when I'm starting to really enjoy it," she blurted.

She saw his head tilt. "_Real_ly?" he asked slowly, drawing out the word.

"Sure," Nika said, watching him out of the corner of her eye. "I mean, I can pop one in my mouth while at work to keep myself busy, but I never really get to enjoy it because it just dissolves, just like that." She snapped her fingers in demonstration. "I'd love a hard candy that I can keep sucking on and not have it disappear before I can really enjoy the flavor or flavors it has to offer."

Nika could feel herself suddenly being lifted up in a hug. Looking down, she saw a creative spark in Willy Wonka's eyes, one that made her feel all happy and warm inside. She smiled when she saw the grin on his face, his perfectly aligned white teeth sparkling as he beamed at her.

"You're brilliant!" he cried, twirling her around. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He quickly put her down and raced for his plans, yelling at various Oompa Loompas to get started on a new machine at once! Nika watched as the small men disappeared into various parts of the room and began assembling a new machine right then and there. A second later, she felt a tug on her pants and looked down to see Wendell looking up at her with a smirk on his face. Jerking his head towards the exit, he held up a watch that plainly said it was dinnertime.

"Quite right, Wendell," she said, winking at him. "It is dinner time, but I don't think that Mr. Wonka will be joining us, will he?" The shaking head of the Oompa Loompa indicated she was probably right. "So I'll just eat up in my room, okay?"

Nodding, Wendell led Nika back to her room for dinner and a nice long, hot, pretty-smelling bubble bath for afterwards.

* * *

All night Willy Wonka worked on his new creation, which he called the Everlasting Gobstopper. It was quite brilliant, actually; a candy that a child could suck for ages and not get any smaller! Of course, some people would think that would ruin him, but that simply wasn't true. Sure, it would never get any smaller, but there would be so many to choose from! A person could buy one that always tasted of one flavor, or it would have a repeating pattern of a variety of flavors, all layered together.

Willy had a feeling the multi-flavored Gobstoppers would be the most popular, so he made sure the flavors came in numerous combinations with half a dozen flavors for each ball, and that each flavor lasted for 15 minutes exactly before changing. To make sure they were small enough to suck on comfortably, but large enough not to choke on, Willy made them the size of a silver dollar. He also made sure that there was a nice container that could be used to store the Gobstopper so that children's hands wouldn't get all sticky. Best of all, the children who never got much spending money could have candy, too, and that's what _really_ made this small ball of hard candy so gosh-darn special.

'_I really should thank Danika for this idea_,' Willy thought as he made his way to bed at three o' clock in the morning. '_And I know exactly what that 'thank you' should be_!'

* * *

The next morning, instead of a breakfast tray greeting her, Nika found five Oompa Loompas at the side of her bed, waiting for her to wake up. After making a squeak of surprise, she read a note from Willy, asking her to join him for breakfast, and that he had something very important to tell her. Shrugging, she donned a long black skirt, red shirt, and black velvet shoes before allowing Wendell to lead her to the dining room. Breakfast had been quiet, but pleasant because both people were in such good moods. After the last dish had been taken away and all that was left was a single beverage in front of them, Willy decided it was time for his surprise.

"Danika, I would like to thank you very much for the idea for an everlasting hard candy," he said, giving her a small smile. "I've decided to make it a reality, and it'll be called the Everlasting Gobstopper."

She blushed. "It was nothing, Willy," she said, smiling back at him. "I'm flattered you liked the idea, though."

He coughed. "Well, I've decided to show my thanks in an unusual fashion," Willy said, now fiddling with a piece of toast leftover from breakfast. "I've decided to allow your family to come here and see where you are and how you're doing."

Nika stared at him. "Are you serious?" she gasped. Could this really be happening?

"I've sent out a note, asking for them to come to the front gates at midnight so that no one can see them enter," he said, still fiddling with his toast. "And they can stay for a few hours so you can catch up on everything. The thing is that they'll have to leave well before dawn so that they aren't seen."

Leaping from her chair, Danika threw herself upon Willy and gave him the first hug he'd had from a person since he'd been a child…and it was the best one of his life.

* * *

AN: Aw, sappy chapter ending! We both hope you liked it, and if you do, please review! Hey, that rhymed… 


	9. Happy Reunion

Disclaimer: We went to Tim Burton's house and tried to trade our Willy Wonka action figures for the real thing, but he said that we couldn't have him. Now all we can think right now is how we have to live without Willy… (cries)

A/N: Huzzah for chapter nine! Sorry about the wait, but real life sucks sometimes. Enjoy!

**Chapter 9-Happy Reunion:**

The Murdock family was interrupted late one evening by a knock on the door. Kylie jumped up from her seat in the living room and ran to answer it, a habit she had developed in the past few days, hoping it would be her cousin there with arms wide open for a hug.

When she opened the door, Kylie was sad that she did not see the sight she wished, but rather squeaked in surprise. There at the door was a short little man holding a letter up to her. Bending down so that she was his height, she looked at him, an eyebrow raised in puzzlement.

"You're kinda funny looking, aren't cha?" she said, looking him over. He just cocked his head to the side and looked back up at her, waving the letter in her face.

Kylie finally got the hint and took the letter from him, looking to see whom it was addressed to and whom it was from. "Oh, my gosh, Mom! She'll never believe it! You have to come in with me to prove that this really is from Willy Wonka!" Kylie exclaimed. The small man nodded and followed her inside.

The next thing her parents knew, she was bounding into the living room saying, "Mommy's got a letter from Willy Wonka!" over and over again.

"Now calm down, poppet!" her father yelled over her commotion. Neither of the adults had noticed the strange little man yet.

"The little man brought Mommy a letter from Mr. Wonka!" Kylie said, holding the letter out to her mother.

At that time both adults looked up and saw the small man wave to them. Marian took the letter from her daughter as Geoff circled the tiny man, looking him over carefully. Turning the envelope over to the front, she saw a handwritten script she would recognize anywhere. Opening the letter, she read the slanted, curly writing.

_Dearest Marian, _

_I know you're probably wondering why you're receiving a letter from me, especially this late in the day. I'm sure by now you're daughter has told you all about me taking your niece, Danika, and I want you to know that it is all true. I am sorry if I have hurt your family in any way; that was not my intention. I have arranged for you to come tonight to see Danika here at the factory, but you must come at midnight and leave before dawn, so no one will see you and get curious. I hope to see you tonight. Wendell, the Oompa Loompa that brought this message, will take you where you need to go._

_Yours_

_William Wonka_

As her husband took the letter from her, Marian sat down on the couch, her head in her hands. Kylie had been telling the truth…William Wonka had her niece. She vaguely heard her husband reading the letter aloud to Kylie as her mind sunk back to faded memories of her working for the mysterious man.

* * *

"Good morning Mr. Wonka," said Walter Sinclaire as he greeted his boss. "I've brought a member of my family here to work, if that's alright. We sort of need the money, what with all the family members and everything." 

A shy, young Marian Sinclaire stood in awe of the chocolatier and his strange, yet youthful, appearance. She'd expected...well, she didn't know what to expect, but this wasn't it!

She wanted to laugh to herself, but kept her silence; she really needed this job, especially when the older members of the family were too old to work and her siblings kept moving back home with their spouses.

Willy Wonka inspected the red haired teenager and smiled. "Why not? I could use someone in the lollypop section, follow me!" He strode off, Marian racing to keep up.

From that day forward, Marian frequently saw the famous chocolatier. During lunch, he would stop by and they would chat about anything and everything under the sun, including how things were going in the factory.

Six months after she'd first started working at the factory, Marian (or Mary, to her friends) noticed that none of the other workers were receiving the same attentions that she was. Puzzled, Mary tried to observe those who Mr. Wonka did speak to, and saw that, although he was still pleasant, he was more formal with them then with her.

After that, she began paying attention to couples that were dating in the factory workplace, and saw that the way the couples acted was very similar to the way Willy was trying to act towards her. The thought that her employer was attracted to her made her heart sink; after all, Mary knew that to date a person higher up in the workplace than you was not a good idea for either person.

After several weeks, Mary was contemplating what to do next when she realized that she was far overdue for a dental check up. She was supposed to have gone weeks ago, but it was just now that she had enough money to do so. So, after asking for a half-day of work, Mary visited the dental office she had been, until very recently, going to her whole life. She was greeted by the same elderly receptionist as before, but was informed that a younger doctor had taken over for poor old Mr. Potts, the former dentist. Mary had simply shrugged and sat down to wait. Ten minutes later, the door opened and in walked Dr. Geoffrey Murdock, curly blonde hair and blue eyes like Mary had never seen.

It was love at first check up, and before Mary knew what was happening, the two of them were kissing in front of her front door after their first date to the local ice cream shop. Geoff wasn't the sort of stiff dentist that people expected, but was laid back and loved to do exciting things, like horseback riding and ice-skating. Mary was perfectly willing to try out those things, and soon the two of them were sharing a horse together while riding through the countryside.

Then came the greatest hardship of her life...

* * *

"Marian, could I speak to you for a moment?" Willy asked, his hands twisting around nervously. The auburn haired woman nodded and followed him from her desk down a small hallway. 

Once the two of them reached an isolated space away from prying eyes and ears, Willy cleared his throat. Twisting his gloved hands around; he saw Marian trying to keep a straight face. A small smile escaped, and Willy couldn't help but notice what a nice smile it was...he loved it when she smiled...

Taking a deep breath, Willy gathered his nerves and spoke. "Marian, I've been wanting to talk to you about something for quite some time…" he said, his gloves squeaking every now and then from the movement. The woman looked up at him, her eyebrows raised, inviting him to continue.

Taking another deep breath, Willy continued. "Marian...I'm sure that this goes against many rules of the workplace, but...I'm very much...attracted to you, and was wondering if...well, if you would consider…."

Marian looked uncomfortable as she interrupted him. "Mr. Wonka, if you are asking that I see you as something more than a boss, I can't. Mr. Wonka…I just, I'm seeing someone right now, and I have a feeling I'm very much falling for him. I'm sorry…." The bright-eyed woman looked up at him, her eyes filled with unspoken apologies that she could never form into words.

"Oh…Alright then…" His mask of happiness fell for a split second, but was soon back in check. "Well, then, um I guess I should get back to work then…." He turned and walked down the hall stiffly, his cane hitting the ground a little harder than usual.

* * *

Willy snapped out of the flashback with a wounded heart. He hated that memory, almost as much as the one about his f-f-f-... 

"Better stop that idea right there," he said to himself.

Straightening his coat and vest, he began to pace his bedroom. Marian and her f-f-f-family... oh, great candy clouds, she had a family! She had a h-h-husband and a ch-ch-child! Gosh darn it, even his thoughts were stuttering!

'_I need to do something_,' Willy thought, grabbing his hat and cane and walking towards the Inventing Room to try and keep his thoughts busy until tonight

* * *

That night, at half past 11, the Murdock family headed towards the Wonka Factory, quietly following the…Oompa Loompa? 

"Is this a good idea?" Geoff muttered to his wife. "I mean, the man's been locked up in a factory for 20 years! Why would he write to someone now?"

"Mr. Wonka is perfectly sane in mind, Geoff," Marian whispered back. "Believe me, I'd know if something were a little off about him. I _did_ work the man, after all."

Soon they found themselves at the gates, which were slightly open so they could get by. The tiny man led them up the front walk, through the doors, up a staircase, and into a small sitting room that was comfortably furnished.

Sitting down, they looked around the small room. It was all done up in deep reds and purples, accented by a few white and black pieces here and there. While they were still looking around, a door opened and Nika came running into the room. Kylie squealed as her cousin picked her up in a hug and swung her around. The older woman held her tight, afraid to let her go. When she finally did, Nika moved to hug her aunt and uncle. Sitting them down into chairs, she briefly explained what had happened thus far, from the moment Kylie had snuck in to the help she'd just recently given Mr. Wonka.

"So, then he thanked me for helping him with the…uh, the idea, and told me that he was inviting you here as a show of thanks," Nika babbled on. "He's steadily become nicer to me. He's invited me to eat with him several times, given me a nice room, _plus_ he has the Oompa Loompas make me new clothes all the time. It's almost like I'm not being held against my will, he's just been so nice…."

As she said this, the door behind the Murdock family opened and a tall figure stepped in, hearing her words. An emotion somewhere between guilt and flattery fell like a lead weight in his stomach.

"Oh, um this is Mr. Wonka." Nika said, gesturing behind them. The Murdock family stood and Kylie raced to her cousin's side, still frightened by the sight of the man who had treated her so roughly.

"Well…uh…hello Mr. Wonka, I'm Geoff Murdock, and this is my wife, Marian, and our daughter Kylie." Uncle Geoff stood there uncomfortably, trying not to shift around.

Mr. Wonka's amethyst gaze narrowed at the blonde man. "You, sir, are the only person in your family I haven't met until now," he said. There seemed to be an icy tinge to his voice that no one could really pin down. "It's nice to see you again Marian," Willy said, his voice becoming overly chipper, "You're niece is a spitting image of you."

"Yes, well, she never did look like her mother," Marian said, shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously, much like her husband wanted to.

"Well, this is a visit for you and your niece, I merely came to see if you needed anything," the chocolatier said, sending a small, false smile towards Danika and her aunt.

"No, we're quite alright, than you anyway," Nika replied, smiling a truly happy and thankful smile back towards him.

With a curt nod, Willy turned on his heel and left the family to themselves.

* * *

The Murdock family left in the wee hours of the morning with a sleeping Kylie in her father's arms. As Nika watched her family trudge off toward home, she decided that it was time to talk to Willy. There was something wrong with him tonight, and she was going to find out what it was.

* * *

A/N: We have a wonderful announcement everybody! The two Oompa Loompas that help us with ideas for the story have gotten together. Sally and Bob are officiallya couplenow! But not to fret; they have agreed to help us as much as possible around their busy schedules together as a couple! Also, we would like to thank every one that has reviewed, we love you! You make us write more everyday, even though school and work suck for us both. Thanks, and don't forget to review, because every review goes to the Bob and Sally Fund to keep them giving us plenty of ideas! Wendell will be collecting them at the end of each chapter, so leave your review with the Oompa Loompa! Thanks! 


	10. Furious Arguments and Thoughts

Disclaimer: Despite our many breaking-and-entering missions into the Burton compound where Willy Wonka is being held (i.e.: protected from rabid fans like us), we have failed in our task to acquire him. In other words, until Tim Burton decides to hand Willy over, we own nothing.

A/N: Wow, so much love and support from everyone! We love each and every one of you for all of the reviews and feedback you've given to this fic (as do our Oompa Loompa helpers). Thanks! 

**Chapter 10: Furious Arguments and Thoughts:**

Once inside the Inventing Room, Danika saw Willy bent over a small stack of old newspaper clippings. Deciding to take him by surprise, she snuck up behind him; he was obviously intent on whatever he was glaring at that he wouldn't notice her until it was too late. Looking at the papers, Nika saw they held details about her aunt's wedding and marriage. She folded her arms over his shoulder and laid her chin on her arms, startling him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, hurriedly making to straighten the papers, but too late.

"I wanted to know what's bothering you," Nika replied. "You seem all...I dunno, tense."

He put the papers in a stack, shrugged her arms off of his shoulder, and stood up. Turning to her, she saw his amethyst eyes holding the same emotion as the day they met.

"It's none of your concern."

She was speechless for a moment. "Yes, it is my concern! I'm living here in your factory, and you're the only other human that I can have a conversation with!"

"Well, maybe I don't wish to share my entire life's history with you." he said a bit coldly.

"They say talking about it will make you feel better," she said, trying to be helpful to the man who had already done so much for her.

"I hardly think speaking of my private life will make me any happier," Willy said, sniffing disdainfully at her.

Nika grit her teeth. "You know, for a man who's making a lot of people happy, you sure are a stubborn son of a-"

"Don't even start with name-calling, little girl," Willy snapped.

"Don't you _dare_ call me little girl!" she fumed, her green eyes flashing dangerously with hurt and anger. "I am _not_ a little girl. At the present time, I'm probably the most mature person in this entire factory besides the Oompa Loompas!"

Willy's eyes darkened from violet to almost black. "Is that so?" he asked, his voice turning dangerously low. "I happen to be the oldest person in this factory, barring the Oompa Loompa elders, so that would likely make me the most mature person in this factory."

Nika laughed mockingly. "Mature physically, but not mentally!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you got in an argument with Kylie, _she'd_ win hands down!"

A small grinding sound could be heard coming from Willy's mouth, and before Nika could say another word, he was stomping out the door. She merely sniffed disdainfully at him and headed back towards her own room, unsure as to whether she had won the argument or not.

* * *

Willy stormed upstairs to his room, his cheeks red with anger and humiliation. She had called him immature, yet _she_ was the one who had almost called him names! Of course, he had thought of a few for her, but he didn't say them out loud! No, of course not, he was better than that, and he knew better than to call a woman names, it wasn't part of who he was.

Throwing himself into an overstuffed chair in his room, Willy Wonka stared at his wall for a good 20 minutes, losing himself in his own private thoughts. Images of red hair and hurt-filled green eyes floated through his mind, but he pushed them aside. He would not allow these thought to dominate his thoughts. Instead, Willy turned his thoughts towards his anger. Danika could not possibly know what it was like to loose someone she loved, someone she cared for as much as he had loved and cared for Marian. Marian had been his life, the sunshine in his day, and when those words of rejection had fallen from her lips, they had crushed him.

After that day, Willy no longer was his cheery, childlike self. In the days that followed, he had secluded himself in his Inventing Room as much as possible, churning out all sorts of different candies that were meant to be used as pranks. The Popping Caramels, Tongue-Numbing Sugar Sticks, and the chocolates that changed the color of people's teeth had been best-sellers, but they still didn't make Willy feel any better. In fact, thing had gotten worse when people began stealing from him, and he'd had to close the factory a few months later. Then he'd seen the articles in the newspaper of Marian's wedding, and he'd known that she was forever out of his grasp. To help numb his pain, Willy had begun exploring the world for new flavors to add to his already vast collection, and to bounce back from the hole he'd dug himself into. And yet, in making his delicious creations, he'd secretly hoped to win Marian over indirectly by making candy again…but now he'd never know if he'd succeeded in doing so.

'_Especially after acting like you did with her and her family_,' he thought, burying his head in his hands.

How could he have acted that way towards her family? He had been undeniably rude and inconsiderate after he'd managed to walk in after Danika's complements of his behavior towards her. Danika had even smiled at him, silently thanking him for being kind enough to allow her to see her family, and now look at what he'd done: he managed to ruin a perfectly good developing friendship because he couldn't control himself around a pair of red-haired, green-eyed women!

"I'm a fool," he muttered to himself. Pulling a cord, an Oompa Loompa approached out of nowhere, but Willy was expecting that. "I need a pot of mint-liquor hot chocolate." The little man scurried off to obey, a bewildered look on his face.

Twenty minutes later, Willy was half-way through the teapot of hot chocolate when a thought hit him like a ton of chocolate bricks. In his slightly drunk mind, he realized that Danika didn't really _understand_ what had happened to his mind and heart after Marian and during those twenty years of isolation from humankind. In an effort to push her (and thus, the pain) away, Willy hadn't told her the story to help her understand or to get the pain off of his chest. Instead, he'd simply been rude and insulting…and now he was sure their budding friendship was back to the unease and hate it had been when they'd first met.

Groaning, Willy tried to loose himself in his drink, unaware of a conspiracy being plotted behind his back.

* * *

Nika stomped through the numerous halls, somehow able to find her way to her bedroom. A colorful stream of curses and insults flowed from her mouth, hopefully heading towards the chocolatier in another part of the factory. Several Oompa Loompas that were starting their day jumped out of her way to keep from getting trampled. She paid them no mind and kept on walking, not realizing that the scattering of Oompa Loompas were now talking about what could possibly have made her so upset.

As she slammed the door of her room behind her, Nika silently fumed to herself on what had happened. How _dare_ he talk to her like that? After all, she was just trying to help! What did he have against her knowing things, anyway? It wasn't like she was going to tell anyone or laugh at his problems; it wasn't in her to do any of those things.

"What, did he think I wouldn't understand what was going on?" she asked herself, pacing the room. "I could _try_ to understand, and it's not good to keep emotions all bottled up inside!"

By the time she'd calmed down enough to go to the edge of her bed, she had thought up all sorts of things to torment the chocolatier with. Throwing herself on her bed, Nika screamed into her pillow; it felt good to scream. He had come so far from the cold man he'd been when they had met...and now they were right back where they started…

Once she'd calmed down and was done screaming, Nika tried to think about all of the terrible things Willy was keeping inside. What could possibly be so important to him that he wouldn't tell her about it? It must be something bad for it to throw him back into his icy attitude towards her. In a way, she felt sorry for him. If something really bad _had_ happened to him, then she was quite certain that he hadn't deserved it.

Sighing, Nika rolled over and looked at the ceiling above her bed. She lost herself in thoughts about how hurt Mr. Wonka had been after her aunt had refused him, and knew that she shouldn't have pressured him to talk about it; he should have come forward on his own, she had no right to squeeze it out of him like that. After all, no one likes to be forced into telling others about their lives.

"I really blew it, didn't I?" she asked herself.

A sharp poke in the shoulder turned her attention to the right side of the bed, a concerned Wendell right beside her. She saw the looks of worry, confusion, and pity on his face before she realized that he had a note in his hands and six Oompa Loompas right behind him. Picking up the note, she ripped it open and scanned it.

Simply put, the small people wanted to know what had happened and what they could do to make things alright again. Smiling, she looked down at their uneasy faces and told them everything that had happened from midnight until a few minutes ago. Nodding, three Oompa Loompas scurried off and returned with a tray of hot chocolate and soft white rolls with honey.

"Comfort food?" she asked. They nodded, and Nika eagerly dug in, polishing off everything edible on the tray. Suddenly, as the tray was pulled away, she yawned and felt incredibly sleepy.

"You drugged it," she softly accused as she lay back onto the bed, Wendell and another Oompa Loompa pulling the covers up to her chin.

She felt a pat on her cheek before drifting off into dreams.

* * *

That night, the two humans slept, one in drunken dreams, the other under the sleeping influence of fermented Green Caterpillars and Purple Beatles mixed into her hot chocolate. As the humans drifted off into dreams, the entire population of Oompa Loompas gathered in their wing of the factory and plotted.

They knew that their friend and savior, the Tall Cocoa Bean Man (a.k.a.: Willy Wonka) had been in pain since before he'd brought them here to work and live in the wonderful place that loved the cocoa beans as much as they did. They knew his heart had been broken, and had only just recently mended itself enough to care about the young woman who now lived here with him. The Oompa Loompas also knew that their tall friend was lonely and didn't know how to act towards women…particularly young, pretty women who seemed to care about his wellbeing.

_We must do something_, one of the females signed to the tribe.

The others nodded, and began tossing around ideas. Soon, everything was set, and all they needed to do was wait.

* * *

Nika woke with the sun in her eyes and an apologetic Wendell offering her a breakfast tray. Amazingly, she felt fully refreshed with no headache or side effects from the drug, and was totally willing to forgive the little man and his fellows for drugging her.

'_Now if only I could forgive another man for his actions_,' she thought as she finished off her breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and sausages.

A few moments after the tray was taken away, Wendell came up to her with a note and a dozen red and blue roses, along with a note. Surprised, Nika took the roses, but read the note first. It was in Mr. Wonka's writing, so she sighed and opened it.

_Dear Danika,_

_I would like to apologize for my actions the previous night. Please accept these roses as a peace offering; I do hope you like them, they are made of the finest candy in my factory. Also, I would like to invite you to a private dinner for two this evening. Wendell will show you where._

_Yours truly,_

_Willy_

"Well, that's really nice of him to do, but I'm not sure," she said, hesitating. She looked at Wendell. "Should I give him another chance?" The Oompa Loompa nodded. "Well, I guess I was a bit hard on him. Tell him, yes, I'll go."

After Wendell had left, Nika inspected the flowers. They smelled like roses, but when she put her fingers to her mouth, they tasted like chocolate! Smiling, she sat down and enjoyed the candy.

* * *

Sighing, Willy nodded to Wendell as he folded the note in his hands. "Of course I'll join her for dinner; she really did not need to ask. Ready my best suit."

* * *

AN: Oh, there's a plot forming right there! Hope you'll stay tuned for the next chapter, it'll be a good sappy one! Review! 


	11. Learning to Understand

Disclaimer: Tim Burton still has Willy Wonka under lock and key. We are trying to come up with a plan, here's what we have so far. Using mostly spoons we'll dig our way into the heavily guarded compound and sneak him out. There are still a few details to work out but HE WILL BE OURS! He just isn't yet…

A/N: This is a sappy/sad chapter, so be prepared to maybe shed some tears or say "_awww_" at some point or another. Enjoy!

**Chapter 11-Learning to Understand:**

Later that day, Nika was surprised to find a beautiful green dress stitched with gold when she came back from the library. It had gold trim around the neckline, the hem of the sleeves, and bottom of the dress. The sleeves were made of an almost transparent material that came to her elbows and hung, and this particular dress flared out more at the waist than the last one the Oompa Loompa dressmakers had made for her. It was more like a ballroom gown.

She smiled when a few of the Oompa Loompa women came in to help her get ready for the dinner. About two hours later, after a lot of curling, pinning, twisting and brushing, she was all dolled up. Her long hair was in dark auburn ringlets all pulled up in a complicated twist, leaving one ringlet on the left side of her face. Looking in the mirror, Danika had to admit that the Oompa Loompa women knew what they were doing. She smiled sweetly at them.

"Thank you, very much." She said. They nodded and ushered her out the door where Wendell was waiting.

* * *

Willy put his dark purple hat on his head, completing his outfit. His suit was much like the normal one he wore, but a bit more formal. The pinstripes in the plum jacket were gold and the cufflinks were a shiny gold as well. He straightened his jacket and took his cane from the wall.

An Oompa Loompa stood next to him and smiled. "I suppose it's time then?" he asked. The tiny man nodded and proceeded to lead the tall man onward to the room they had chosen.

* * *

Willy had arrived naught a minutes before a door was opened and Nika was pushed through. Somewhere a waltz began to play as she walked up to him. He held out a purple, gloved hand to her and she took it politely.

"I would like to thank you for the roses, they were beautiful and delicious," she said smiling.

Willy Stopped. "What roses?" he asked, his cheery expression now replaced with a confused one.

"The ones you sent with your invitation letter," Nika replied, now confused as well.

"I didn't send you and invitation, you sent me one," Will said, looking at her oddly.

"I did not; Wendell even had to convince me to…"

Suddenly what had happened sunk in, and they turned to Wendell, who was trying to sneak out of the room.

"Then that means, you didn't apologize?" Nika asked.

"Of course not, you should be the one apologizing," the chocolatier said coldly.

"Me? Why should I apologize!" she asked angrily.

"You butted into my business."

"Well if you wouldn't be so secretive, maybe I wouldn't butt in so much," Nika snapped, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Well you shouldn't have pushed me to talk about my past!"

"You should learn not to bottle up your feelings!"

"You should know that _my_ feelings are _my_ problem!"

"You should learn some people are just trying to help you!" she exclaimed.

"You wouldn't understand!" he shouted back, his amethyst gaze burning into hers. She looked shocked for a moment then poked him hard in the chest with her finger.

"Wouldn't understand what? That you were rejected by the only woman you ever loved, knowing that she will never love you like she loves my Uncle Geoff?" For the second time in his life, Willy Wonka was speechless. Perhaps she did know how he felt.

"Well how about this for understanding Willy Wonka?" She poked him again to get her point across. "I was in love with the man my father told me about, the chocolatier that was happy and go lucky, who was kind and gentle, and who made so many people happy through his candy. So I move to England, all the way from the States, hoping to get a glimpse of the man my father had told me about, the man he'd worked for. When I finally got to see the famed Willy Wonka, my hopes were crushed." By now tears had formed in her eyes and her voice was taking on an upset tone, crying as she shouted the words, spitting them in his face…

"You are **_NOT_** the man I heard all about, you only look like him, but you can't be the man I loved as a child!" Tears were now running down her cheeks, creating trails through the light makeup the Oompa Loompas had used, "So yes I do know what it's like to loose someone I have loved since I was a child! Perhaps it is _you_ who does not understand how _I_ feel!"

Although she was crying her emerald eyes never left his indigo ones; they bored into his, making him feel guilty beyond compare. He truly was speechless. He had greatly underestimated this girl. She knew exactly how he felt, and he was the cause of it. Willy then did the only thing he could think to do: he reached out to her and wrapped her in a hug. He was afraid of crushing her, so it was a gentle but firm hug.

When he hugged her, she surrendered to his embrace. For so long she had wanted someone to just hold her, but she was in her 20's, and by an unwritten rule, she was too old to be held. The emotions running through her that had caused her outbreak were hard to stop, but eventually the tears did stop as his hands rubbed her back gently, calming her down.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I…I didn't know…" She just shook her head on his chest. His hands continued to rub her back soothingly.

"You couldn't know, and I'm sorry for pushing you to talk about your past, I really am. I should have known you wouldn't want to talk about it," she said, looking up at him. "All is forgiven?" she asked as he smiled at her and nodded.

"All is forgiven," he said. "Now, these Oompa Loompas put together a nice dinner for us, we'd be smart not to waste it." Nika nodded, smiling as he guided her to her seat.

* * *

As the two adults sat down for their dinner, an excited Wendell rushed out of the room. Bursting into a large room holding the rest of the Oompa Loompa population, he began singing like crazy, relaying the events that had just passed. Their faces went from happiness, to horror, then delight as they watched.

_So they are happy with each other_? one elder signed to Wendell.

_Yes, as much as we'd hoped, if not more_, he signed back.

_I've seen the way he looks at her; he likes the fire-haired lady_, signed another elder.

_She will make him happy_, signed Wendell. _We must get them together, but how_?

The Oompa Loompas quickly huddled together and began a frantic signing conversation, one that ended up with Wendell standing by the Oompa Loompa musicians and giving them specific instructions. The musicians nodded and struck up an upbeat waltz that caught the two humans' attention immediately.

* * *

Willy stood up and made his way over to Nika and held his hand out to her. "W…Would you care to….to….to…" He tried swallowing but it didn't help.

"Dance?" she finished for him smiling. He nodded. "I'd love to."

She took his hand and let him lead her to the middle of the room. He placed his left hand on her waist and held hers with his other as she placed her right hand on his shoulder. They stood there for a moment as Willy picked up the beat until he suddenly pulled her hand and they began dancing. He led her in a circuit of the room and turned them in wide circles. As the song ended and a slower song began, he led her in tighter and tighter circles until they were softly swaying to the beat of the music.

As the beat of the music slowed, the two found themselves pulled into a soft, warm cloud, one that kept the outside world away and the comfort of each other's arms there with them. Nika suddenly found her head resting on Willy's chest, his cheek gently finding a place against hers. She smiled at this; no longer than twenty minutes ago they were screaming at each other, and now they were dancing cheek to cheek with each other.

In his own mind, Willy was in heaven. This woman was so unbelievably wonderful to him, how could he have ever yelled at her? He smiled at the warmth of her cheek on his and felt a satisfaction that he'd never felt before. Willy then realized that he'd never felt this way about Marian, she'd rejected him, but from what he could tell, Danika was accepting him as he was, even if he wasn't what she'd thought. He rubbed his cheek to hers and wondered how long they had been standing like this.

It was then that Nika realized that the music had stopped. Pulling away, she looked up into violet eyes and swallowed nervously. "Um, I think the music stopped," she whispered.

Willy gulped as well. "Um, then I guess I'd better take you back to your room," he softly replied, still looking into deep green eyes.

Nika gave a small nod and the two of them left the dining hall, the Oompa Loompas giving each other high-fives behind the humans' backs.

Neither of them talked on the way to her room, both lost in their own thoughts. When they reached her door Willy turned to her and smiled.

"I guess this is where I leave you…" he said quietly.

"I guess so," she said.

Nika smiled and turned to open her door, but stopped when she felt his hand on her arm stopping her. When she turned back to look at him, she saw a look in his eyes she wasn't quite sure she trusted.

"I…thank you, for…for everything," he whispered uncomfortably.

She just smiled and shook her head. On spur of the moment, he slid his gloved hand to her cheek and pressed his lips lightly to hers. Nika started at the contact, then relaxed into it. When he pulled away, she slowly opened her eyes, smiling.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, putting his other hand to her cheek. "I'll try to be a more open and better person." He pressed his forehead to hers. "I promise." She smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek before she opened the door and stepped in.

"Goodnight," she said, still smiling.

"Goodnight…my Starshine," he said quietly as she closed the door behind her.

Leaning against the wall, he let out a breath of happiness. Willy was so happy he felt as if he could fly. He pushed himself off the wall and made the walk back to his own room, his cane clicking all the way.

* * *

AN: Like we said, sappy! Aw, come on, we all know people like sap, don't you? Well, even if you did or didn't, show your love and support by leaving a review with the Oompa Loompa! 


	12. If You Let Go of the One You Love

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, our idea of spoon-digging our way into the Burton compound did not succeed, so we still do not possess the fantastically sexy Willy Wonka…**yet**…

A/N: Wow, our readers and reviewers rock! We've never seen so many reviews in one place; it's amazing! And to answer someone's question: we have no idea why so many characters in the Wonka fics have red hair…maybe it's because Willy's a redhead? Love and chocolate to everyone!

**Chapter 12: If You Let Go of the One You Love:**

The next morning, Nika woke up and wondered if last night had been a dream. Had she really danced with Willy Wonka after a romantic dinner for two planned by the Oompa Loompas? Had he really held her close enough to let their faces touch, oh-so-gently?

"Did I really _kiss_ _him_?" she gasped, sitting up straight in her bed, remembering how they had parted the night before.

Oh, but _what_ _a kiss_ it had been! Sure, Nika had been kissed by guys before, but never by a guy whose clothes and hair smelled like chocolate, mint, sugar, and a dozen good things mixed together! Not to mention that Willy had the softest, nicest set of lips she'd ever seen or felt in her life. Sighing, Nika let her eyes glaze over as she replayed the previous evening's dance and kiss over and over again in her mind…until a tiny cough was heard next to the bed.

Looking around, Nika spotted Wendell and several Oompa Loompas standing nearby, smiling like smug idiots as they held up her breakfast tray. Blushing furiously, Nika took the tray and busied herself with consuming the food they'd given her, trying to ignore how the Oompa Loompas were still standing there with broad grins on their faces.

"Oh, _will_ you guys stop doing that?" she cried in a playful voice, trying to hide her very red cheeks behind her hands.

The tiny people simply giggled and made kissy-face noises behind their hands. Finally having enough of the teasing, Nika picked up a pillow and gently tossed it at the tiny people, giggling when they dove out of the way. Wendell just laughed and removed the tray so that it wouldn't get knocked over as a pillow fight erupted between the two peoples: human vs. Oompa Loompa. However, Nika was careful not to throw too hard, lest she harm her little friends.

Half an hour later, pillows were everywhere, and feathers were floating throughout the room. There were a few tiny sneezes from the Oompa Loompas, but that was it. Wendell, the only Oompa Loompa who hadn't taken part of the fight, merely chuckled at everything and pulled a cord. Almost magically, an army of the small, but very chipper, workers came in to clean up the mess. Before Nika could fully comprehend what was happening, the room was spotless and she was alone in her room, clothes laid out for her on the foot of her bed.

Realizing that it really was time to get up, Nika dressed in a red silk blouse, black jeans embroidered with red roses and green leaves, and black boots before having Wendell take her to the library for some serious thinking and reading time.

* * *

After they were done fixing up the room assigned to the Fire-Haired Girl that the Tall Cocoa Bean Man was so fond of, the Oompa Loompas once again gathered within the confines of their wing of the factory. Many were excited and happy that the man they admired (and nearly worshiped) had finally found himself a possible mate. There had been much celebrating after the tribe had found out about The Kiss in the Hallway, with Wendell, his brother Bob and Bob's love interest, Sally, telling the story over and over again to everyone. The next day, after the celebrations had finished and the Oompa Loompas were rested, Wendell had gone to take care of the Fire-Haired Girl with a few extra helpers to see how she was doing. When he returned, the others were pleased to hear that she was in a good mood, and seemed to be in a dreamy state, as though she'd had too many cocoa beans.

Immediately after hearing that, Bob decided to deliver breakfast to the main bedroom (a.k.a.: Willy's room) and see how the Tall Cocoa Bean Man was after last night. The others eagerly awaited his return and news.

* * *

Willy lay in his purple and red colored bedroom and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the amazing night before. He'd actually _kissed_ Danika, and it had felt…

"It was like a dream," he whispered to himself, not removing his eyes from their focus spot on the purple ceiling covered with sparkling gold stars.

It was odd, though…he'd always dreamed of kissing Marian, but in kissing her niece, he'd felt so, well, _happy_. It had been so long since Willy Wonka had actually been happy that the feeling was somewhat alien to him. He could feel his heart swell up in his chest, his entire body going warm as though he'd just had a cup of his famous hot chocolate.

'_But this is so much better than chocolate_,' he thought to himself, putting his hands behind his head as he propped himself up on his pillows. '_I didn't think anything could be better than chocolate_!'

But something most definitely was better than all of the chocolate and candy in the whole of his factory, and it was currently down the hall, sleeping in a vanilla-scented bedroom, a dozen or so Oompa Loompas all too eager to befriend and serve her. For such tiny beings who had never seen many humans in their lives, Willy was extremely surprised that the Oompa Loompas were so willing to trust and like the red-haired girl. In fact, Wendell had said many pleasant things about Danika after his first day of being assigned to her.

'_They're also amazingly good judges of character_,' Willy thought, sighing. '_I really should trust the little guys more often when they tell me something_.'

Just then, Willy heard the door open and saw Bob come in with his breakfast tray, as well as a stack of paper and pencils so Willy could write down anything he thought up while eating. Willy smiled; sometimes he came up with the most unusual (and best-selling) things while eating breakfast in bed. Sitting up in bed, Willy took the tray and set it in his lap as Bob sat next to him, ready to take the tray away when he was finished.

After he'd eaten and Bob had moved the dirty dishes to the desk, Willy picked up a pencil and paper and began to sketch anything that came to mind. For an hour he sat, his pencil moving with a will of its own, his eyes not really paying attention to what was going on in front of him. Finally setting his dull pencil aside, Willy sat back and looked at the artwork he'd created from out of nowhere.

It was a remarkable portrait of Danika from the night before. There was the gown she'd worn, her hair perfectly done up, and her eyes sparkling with joy. Willy tilted his head to the side, smiling as he happily flashed-back to that night and the kiss they had shared. His smiled broadened into a full-blown grin, and he let his eyes go hazy at his memory.

A small cough brought Willy back to the present, a very smug Bob standing beside the bed. Willy rolled his eyes at the tiny man.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, trying not to blush.

Bob shook his head and smiled at his boss's discomfort before stacking the dirty dishes and walking out of the room, leaving the chocolatier with the tray, paper, and pencils. Willy simply groaned and tried to focus on creating new candy. However, he only succeeded in drawing about ten different pictures of Danika instead.

* * *

Bob returned to the Oompa Loompa compound and related the news about their love-struck boss. The entire place cheered and began dancing around. Even the little Oompa children knew that something good had happened and began doing little dances of their own!

Since the Tall Cocoa Bean Man seemed disinclined to get up this morning (which would leave little for the tiny workers to do without supervision), the Oompa Loompas decided to take a little break and party until the early hours of the afternoon.

* * *

After finishing another drawing of Danika, Willy was starting to think himself useless (as the current drawing was very much against what he'd set out to do, which was a new label for his chocolate bars). Sighing, Willy set aside his tray and drawing utensils to go and got dressed for the day.

Pulling on his trademark hat and coat before grabbing his cane, Willy headed downstairs towards the Inventing Room, hoping that the machines would provide a distraction from the red hair and green eyes currently clouding his mind. He hadn't felt this way about anyone, not even Marian, and it was driving him up the walls of his factory!

'_But it's not really that bad to think about Danika_,' Willy thought to himself.

And yet, during his infatuation with Marian, he'd at least been able to focus on his work. It was not so with Danika; the girl was everywhere, and he had the drawings to prove it! The Oompa Loompas could laugh at him behind their hands all they wanted; Willy just wanted a moment to work on his candies and inventions!

Twenty minutes later, Willy sat at a table in the Inventing Room as he pondered the feelings he felt for the young woman. Danika was smart, goodness yes, and she was caring beyond anyone he'd ever met in his life. She wanted to help him with his emotions, and wanted him to feel better about people, and to trust them in general. The only people he trusted, though, included a group of people that were as tall as his knee and a young woman with red hair.

'_And Marian_,' Willy thought. '_I trust her_.'

His mind was suddenly filled with the sight of his Marian, looking distraught at the idea that her niece wasn't coming home again. In his memory, Willy saw a little red-haired girl who clung to her older cousin like a second mother, and of the little girl's mother and father who had lost a niece to a secluded chocolatier who couldn't trust anyone. Willy Wonka, world renowned maker of happiness in children, was now the source of misery for the family of a woman he'd once loved.

And now, he realized, he loved her niece too. He could not allow himself to cause any more hurt to their family. He would let Danika go, whether he liked the idea or not. Flapping his tongue to call an Oompa Loompa, he ordered the small man to bring the young woman to his private library immediately.

* * *

Walking into Willy Wonka's private library was like walking into Sherlock Holmes' library…the entire space was unusually dark; from the books to the ceiling and floor, it was all colored in deep purples and reds. Looking around, Nika spotted the candy man sitting in a chair by the fireplace, his head hung low. Concerned about him, she quickly approached him and knelt in front of his chair.

"Willy, are you okay?" she whispered, putting her hands on his gloved ones.

Willy looked up from where his eyes had been focused in his lap, his violet eyes focusing on her green ones. "Danika, I'm letting you go."

The words were so soft she barely heard them. "What?" she asked, not sure she'd heard correctly.

"I'm letting you go back to your family," Willy said, his hands tightly clenching hers. "I did a horrible thing, taking you away from the ones you love, and I want to make it right by sending you where you're supposed to be."

Nika could feel her heart rip apart in her chest. '_But it's what I wanted, right_? _To go home to my family and to be with Kylie and to play with her and tell her stories about the factory_? _He's setting me free_!'

And yet, as a confused Wendell led her back to her room, her mind still clouded with shock, Nika wasn't sure that this choice was the right one…for either of them.

* * *

An hour later, Nika found herself in the doorway of her apartment, a very sad Wendell by her side to help her take her Oompa Loompa-made clothes home with her as souvenirs. Once Wendell had helped her settle things into her closet and cleaned things up, Nika turned and looked at the little man standing in her living room.

"I guess all good things come to an end, right?" she said, sniffing as she held back tears.

Wendell simply shook his head and made many hand gestures. Nika stood there a moment and tried to figure them all out.

"Okay, I'm guessing that you think Willy's being unreasonable and an idiot for letting me go, right?" The Oompa Loompa nodded, his face clearly showing his displeasure. Nika simply smiled at him. "I'll miss you, too, Wendell." She knelt down and gave the tiny man a gentle hug.

Surprised, Wendell returned the hug and handed her a folded piece of paper. Taking the small gift, Nika looked at it as Wendell gave her the typical Oompa Loompa bow, slipping out the door as quickly and quietly as only an Oompa Loompa could. Sighing, Nika unfolded the paper and, upon seeing the contents, immediately began to cry.

It was a portrait of her, from the night of the kiss. It had been drawn with the utmost care, especially calling attention to her eyes and her lips. Letting the paper slip from her fingers, Nika ran to her bedroom, collapsing in a flood of tears upon her bed.

* * *

AN: Not sure if it was too much of a cliché at the end; please leave a review and let us know how we're doing! Thanks, and long live the Oompa Loompas! 


	13. Desperate Measures

Disclaimer: FINALLY, WE HAVE MADE IT INTO THE BURTON FACILITY AND CAPTURED THE FAMED CANDYMAN! We now have him in our possession, but that does not mean he is ours. So we'll just sit here and make him feel at home while we write. Well, as at home as he can be in chains and handcuffs…

**A/N:** We'd also like to mention that we do not own the song "Broken" by Seether and Amy Lee…it belongs to a big music company somewhere, so don't sue!

**Chapter 13- Desperate times call for Desperate Measures:**

(3 weeks later)

Willy Wonka sat in the dark of his personal library, staring at the fireplace. For the past three weeks, he'd been unusually quiet, not at all like his normal self. When the Oompa Loompas asked him if he was all right, he mumbled a yes and left the room. He came to the library very often, whenever he could, in fact, and sat in the same chair by the fireplace, his eyes always focused on the patch of carpet in front of him, where she had once kneeled.

He thought back to the day he had let Danika go, replaying the scene in his mind. Willy had been close to tears when he saw the expression on her face when he told her she was free to return home to her life and family. He'd instructed Wendell not to bring her back; he couldn't say goodbye, because that would mean she was really gone and wouldn't likely be coming back.

Digging into his pocket, he found one of the drawings he'd made of her. It was when she had been asleep and he had, for some unknown reason, snuck in to check on her to see how she was doing. His eyes traveled over the picture he had already etched into his brain. She had looked so peaceful, her face relaxed and a small smile on her lips. Suddenly, a song that he'd once heard on the radio popped into his head, and he let the lyrics fall from his lips sadly.

"I wanted you to know, that I love the way you laugh, I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away. I keep your photograph, and I know it serves me well; I wanna hold you high and steal your pain. Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome, and I don't feel right when you're gone away. You've gone away…. You don't feel me anymore."

A lone tear streamed down the candy man's face. He couldn't live like this anymore, he just couldn't keep lying to himself, telling himself he was doing fine without Danika's beautiful face and her caring nature. He needed her like he needed air. He wanted her back, but there was no way she'd come back to him. She must be so happy to be away from an isolated chocolatier and his strange behaviors…she was with her family now, and must have forgotten all about him. There was no way she would come back to him.

Taking his hat off and setting it on the table next to him, he plunged his hands into his hair, his gloved fingers massaging his scalp soothingly. Suddenly his head snapped up.

"Or is there?"

* * *

Danika opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside, letting her bag slide off her shoulder and onto the floor. Closing the door, she thought back to her Uncle's question that day.

"Danika, are you alright sweetie, you look sick," Uncle Geoff had asked, a worried look on his face when he saw how pale and thin she was.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just a bit under the weather," she had replied, not looking him in the eye. Her uncle had merely shrugged and walked away to return to his work.

For the past three weeks she'd been 'under the weather'. Since Willy Wonka had released her, Nika had been more depressed than ever before in her life. Life had been terrible, she'd been so miserable it made her heart ache. She could hardly focus on her work, and everything that she's once loved, from reading to watching movies, had suddenly become gray and meaningless. Worst of all, every time Nika had walked down the street and caught a glimpse of plum or purple, her heart would race. And whenever she turned around, her heart soaring with hope at possibly seeing a top hat and a cane, she'd only see a stranger.

As though in a trance, Danika walked into her room and flung herself down on her bed. Once situated, she rolled over on her side to see the drawing on her nightstand. Smiling, she sat up and took it in her hands. She'd framed it and put it there so that it was the first thing she saw when she woke up, and the last thing she saw before she fell asleep.

She smiled down at the picture. That night was etched forever into her mind. Every free moment she had during the day, she would replay that night in her mind. Then, remembering the day afterwards in the red-and-purple library, she would get sad all over again. Nika sighed and sat the drawing back down. She had been hurt, when she'd realized that she hadn't been able to say goodbye.

Danika felt tears come to her eyes, but did nothing to stop them. She really couldn't understand why she was feeling so upset. He'd basically kidnapped her, held her prisoner in his tremendous factory against her will…right?

'_But he let me go_…' she thought. Sighing again, she threw herself back into her pillows. "Why is this effecting me so bad?" she asked aloud, wiping away tears.

Suddenly, a thought filled her head.

"Because I love him." With this realization, she rolled over and cried. She loved him, and now she'd never see him again. Nika hoped it wouldn't always be this bad, but something in her heart told her it would.

Finally she fell asleep, a few tears still rolling down her cheeks.

* * *

Willy crept in through the bedroom window of Danika's apartment and looked around the room. He had left the factory soon after his revelation, not a word spoken to anyone, and brought some kind of chemical that was supposed to knock people out. Even though it was the wrong thing to do (by society's standards), Willy had decided to kidnap her. It was a drastic measure, but he couldn't live without her anymore.

As his eyes scanned the room, he saw a picture frame by her bed. Wondering what it was, he made his way over to it and picked it up. It was the picture he had drawn of Danika on the night of their kiss. He'd thought he'd lost it!

'_Wendell must have taken it and given it to her_,' Willy thought. He set the drawing back down and looked for a place to hide. Opening the closet, he found that the floor was empty. '_Perfect,_' he thought.

Just then, he heard the front door being unlocked. Willy hurried to close the door of the closet behind him, trying not to make any noise that would attract attention. Sitting down on the floor, he looked through the small slits in the door to see a very pale, sad looking Danika walk in and fling herself down on her bed.

After a moment she turned towards him and took the picture frame off of her nightstand and look at it for a long time, smiling. Then suddenly her face fell, and she sighed, putting it down. Willy winced; he knew what she was thinking of. He was so stupid! Why did he ever let her go?

'_Because you love her_,' he thought. When he looked up again, he saw that she was crying. He longed to go to her and comfort her, but he knew he couldn't, he'd have to wait.

"Why is this effecting me so bad?" she said aloud, wiping tears away. Suddenly she stopped and got a far off look. "Because I love him." It was so quiet that he could barely hear it. Danika then rolled over and cried into her pillow.

Willy sat there for moment thinking. Was it really so bad to love him? Or was it that she thought she'd never see him again? He wasn't sure what it was, but when he looked up again, he saw that Danika's body was relaxed in sleep, her rhythmic breathing almost soothing to his ears.

Getting up, he quietly opened the closet door and made his way over to her. Looking down at her, he smiled at the beautiful, peaceful sight and reached down to stroke her hair lightly, brushing a strand out of her face.

"Now all I have to do is wait for it to get dark," he whispered, taking a seat in a nearby chair to wait until evening.

* * *

Later in the evening, Danika woke up to a hand gently caressing her hair. She started and felt a weight shift onto the bed behind her. She began to turn her head to see what it was, but a hand held her still. Strangely enough, she felt a sense of security come over her at the familiar touch. Suddenly, she felt a cold rag over her mouth, but still felt relatively calm, and it was that sense of calm that scared her more than anything. She started to struggle, but a light-headed feeling came over her, so she stopped and focused all her energy into trying to keep her eyes open. Just before she fell into a drug-induced sleep, she felt a rubber-clad finger run down her cheek and heard a familiar male voice whisper in her ear.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

With Danika thrown over his shoulder, Willy laid a single black rose with a letter addressed to Marian on her bed. The letter held an apology for what he was doing, and why it had to be done. Before he left, he took another quick look around the room. Grabbing the picture frame that held the precious drawing, he bounded out the window, down the fire escape, and down the street to his factory

* * *

AN: Hurray for Willy! See, he went after her, isn't that sweet? Ha, that's a pun! Anyway, review and let us know how you like it! 


	14. Much Happiness

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Tim Burton broke in and took Willy away, so now we're left without the Amazing Chocolatier. But we got to keep his hat and cane! (Whispers from lawyers offstage) _What do you mean he took those, too_?

AN: Small warning: this chapter may contain large amounts of sap, meaning kissing, mushy thoughts, and possibly some remarkably cute and hilarious scenes. For those of you with anti-sappy stomachs, please skip this chapter…or at least most of it…

**Chapter 14: Much Happiness:**

Nika woke up to a bright light shining in her eyes and the smell of vanilla all around her. It was all very familiar, but in her half-awake daze, she couldn't quite place from where, or why, they seemed so recognizable. She opened her eyes and began rubbing them, slightly pushing the crème bedding away from her upper body as she blinked a few times to clear her vision.

Slowly, as her mind drifted towards full consciousness, Nika realized that she wasn't alone in the room. She suddenly noticed a chest pressed up to her back, and her legs entangled with two others beneath the sheets. There was also a slight snore come from her right. Looking down, she saw an arm draped tightly around her waist. She tried to see who was behind her, but couldn't turn her head far enough to get a decent look. Deciding that she would try and worm her way out from under the arm, she started to shift her weight several times. A few seconds had passed when she heard a soft voice in her ear.

"If you keep wiggling, we won't just be laying here for much longer."

Nika instantly froze in her movements. She knew that voice which purred in her ear, oh-so-softly. It sent shivers down her spine. "Willy?" she whispered, not daring to believe it.

* * *

That night, as his precious Starshine slept on the bed, Willy had debated what he was going to tell her when she woke. Not doubt she'd notice immediately that she was no longer in her apartment; the vanilla scent would give that away, as would his presence! He'd debated leaving her alone in the room with Wendell keeping watch close by, but decided against it; he wanted to be here when she woke. In Willy's opinion, he'd been apart from her for too long, and he wasn't about to leave her just when he finally had her back again. 

So he sat in a chair by the bed, watching Nika sleep and enjoying the peacefulness of her even breathing. He loved the way her hair flowed over the crème colored pillows like ribbons of flame. For some reason, it reminded him of the night of their kiss, when a lock of her hair had been left loose by the hairdressers. Willy had felt that lock of hair against his neck when they had danced, their bodies pressed close together, and had later tried to think of a way to keep a lock of her hair with him just so he could feel it between his fingers whenever he wanted. He hadn't had the time (or the courage) to ask for her to cut a bit of it off for him, and so he had been left trying to memorize how good her hair felt against his skin.

Halfway through the night, Willy was close to falling asleep and decided that there was enough room on the bed for the both of them. Putting aside his candy-filled cane and taking off his hat and shoes, Willy had climbed onto the bed and gently wrapped his arm around his Starshine's sleeping form, gladly joining her in the land of dreams.

The next morning, Willy had been awoken in the most pleasant way by Nika's body squirming against his. Grinning at the situation, he'd decided to speak up as she hadn't noticed that it was him lying behind her.

"If you keep wiggling, we won't just be laying here for much longer."

Willy felt her freeze in her movements before she spoke. "Willy?"

* * *

This couldn't be real. Any minute now she'd wake up, cold and alone, in her apartment with just the picture sitting on the nightstand next to her bed. There was no way she could be here, back at the factory, with Willy laying next to her in her vanilla-scented bedroom. Nika would bet anything that her alarm would go off and it'd be time to go to work, to go face the day and all of the gray and dismal challenges that were a part of it. 

"Good morning, Starshine," he whispered into her ear, his breath gently drifting across her skin.

She swallowed hard and sighed, closing her eyes to prolong this blissful moment in time as long as possible. She really didn't want to wake up all alone in her bed; this was just too perfect and peaceful, and she never wanted it to end. Letting her mind drift on clouds of vanilla scent and color, Nika tried to fall back into the sleep that this wonderful dream was providing.

"Still sleepy, Starshine? It's nearly noon, you know," Willy whispered into her ear, hugging her closer to him.

"I'm afraid this is all a dream and that I'm going to wake up any minute now," Nika softly replied, her eyes still closed.

"Trust me, sweetness, it's not a dream," he murmured. "You're here in the factory and with me, and soon I'll have Wendell or someone come in here with lunch so we can have some quality time together."

Nika turned over so that she was facing him, her green eyes meeting his bright violet ones as his face hovered an inch above hers. This had to be real, there was no way a dream could capture the emotions hidden in those fantastic eyes. "So you kidnapped me from my home?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He blushed. "Well, yes," he said, looking a bit ashamed of his actions. "I couldn't help it, though."

"I missed you," she said, smiling as she rubbed her nose against his, showing that she forgave him.

Willy smiled down at her. "I missed you, too, Starshine."

His bright lips hovered above hers and she couldn't hold back anymore. Closing the small distance between them, Nika pressed her lips against Willy's, feeling extremely pleased with herself when she heard him moan. She didn't know how experienced Willy was with kissing, so she decided to make the first move by gently nipping his lower lip.

Imagine her shock when Willy's reaction involved his hand slipping beneath her top, his fingertips softly stroking the skin of her back, making her gasp. She could feel him smirking at her reaction, right before his tongue carefully slid into her mouth. Danika could feel her body stiffening in surprise at the chocolatier's actions.

'_Did I know he could do that_?' she thought to herself as Willy's tongue began to slowly caress her own. '_No, definitely did **not** know he could do that_!'

Locking her arms around his neck, Nika lost herself in the kiss. She could feel Willy's hands sliding up and down her back, stopping when it reached the strap of her bra before slipping back down to the hem of her pants. His kisses were now becoming more aggressive, his lips pressing harder against hers as he tongue began to thrust into every corner of her mouth.

Suddenly, there was a loud squeak from the side of the bed, and the two of them broke their kiss to see who, or what, had made the noise. There, standing beside the bed, was Wendell the Oompa Loompa, with his eyes closed tightly as he backed away from the scene they were making. The tiny being was making signs with his hands, and though she could understand what he was saying, Nika found it very amusing as he did so. Finally, Wendell turned around and ran out of the room, leaving a fairly stunned Willy Wonka lying atop an equally surprised Nika.

"Well, that was unexpected," he muttered. "I'll have to remember to put a sign up in front of the door next time."

"Next time?" asked Nika, who chuckled as Willy pouted at the idea of there possibly not being a 'next time' for kissing. "What was his signing, anyway? I don't speak or sign Oompa Loompa."

Willy grinned. "Basically, it was, 'my eyes, my eyes,'" he translated before a small frown pulled down the corners of his lips. "Then he said that there's a problem with the fudge machine downstairs."

Nika sighed. "Then you'd better get down there, before we're up to our ears in fudge," she said, kissing his cheek. "Besides, I need to take a bath and change out of these clothes."

She received a very lovely, very long kiss from the chocolatier before he bid her a reluctant goodbye. After he'd left, Nika soaked herself in a lilac-scented bath that went very well with the vanilla shampoo she used. Wrapping her body in a robe, she realized that she didn't know if Willy had brought her clothes when he'd kidnapped her.

Walking over to the closet, Nika gave a sigh of relief at seeing yet another fantastic wardrobe made for her by the Oompa Loompa dressmakers. Pulling out a red dress with a black bodice and a skirt that went down to her ankles, as well as a pair of black shoes, Nika opened the door and found a blushing Wendell there waiting for her.

She chuckled. "Don't worry, Wendell, I forgive you," she teased, giggling as the poor Oompa Loompa's face grew redder. "Now, what's supposed to happen to me today?" Wendell held up an envelope of purple paper with gold ink spelling out her name on the front. Sighing, Nika took the envelope and opened it.

_Danika,_

_Due to an extremely difficult fudge machine, I'm sorry to say that I will be unable to join you for lunch this afternoon. However, will you please do me the honor of joining me for dinner this evening?_

_Until later, my Starshine,_

_Willy_

Nika smiled with joy for the first time in three weeks.

* * *

AN: All together now: _awwww_! Hope the sap wasn't too much for you! Review! 


	15. Priceless Treasures

Disclaimer: Well we found Willy's cane and hat, and many other clues that are leading us to his location. It is just a matter of time before we find him again and steal him back and put him in a safe place so Tim Burton can't steal him back! So as of now, we do not own him, yatta, yatta, yatta.

A/N: Here is the long awaited chapter 15! Thank you so much for all of your support, we never expected this story to be so popular! And don't worry…we'll catch Willy sooner or later…

**Chapter 15- Priceless Treasures**:

Nika milled around in the library until it was time for her to go eat with Willy. When she arrived at her room, she found four Oompa Loompas waiting with a beautiful blue dress that was very different from the others she'd worn before.

It was sleeveless, showing off her shoulders quite attractively, and the top laced up in the back, almost like a corset, displaying her chest quite nicely, making her figure very alluring. The skirt looked like a prom dress almost, fading from a sky blue at the top, to a midnight shade at the bottom. A beaded pattern of roses curled from the bottom left side to the top right side that must have taken hours to sew on.

As Danika looked in the mirror, she thought that Willy would be especially pleased with this dress. The Oompa Loompas left her hair down, but straightened it and parted it to the side, causing a section to fall over her eyes.

Smiling she thanked them for all their hard work. When they handed her a letter, she opened it and read it quickly.

_Dear Fire Haired Lady,_

_We Oompa Loompas have been worried about Tall Cocoa Bean Man. Since you left, he has hardly talked to any of us, and has been very depressed and lonely. We were wondering how long you were planning to stay this time. Please do not leave, we do not wish to see Tall Cocoa Bean Man so unhappy again. _

_Sincerely,_

_The Oompa Loompa Tribe_

Danika looked up at the tiny people before her. "You really want Willy to stay happy, huh?" she asked. They nodded. "Well, as for how long I shall be staying…. Indefinitely I think…" she said. The small Oompa Loompas threw their hands up and began to dance happily at the thought that Tall Cocoa Bean Man would be happy again.

* * *

As he sat in front of his dressing table, watching Bob do his hair with perfection in the mirror, Willy couldn't help but think about dinner this evening. He had so many things to tell Danika, and no way to actually do it...if he tried, his darn stutter would get in the way, or nothing would come out at all. It was so frustrating!

"So much to tell her, and no way of doing it!" he muttered to himself, not knowing that Bob was hanging on to every word that he spoke. "I mean, I've got no experience with girls and l-l-l-..."

That darn stutter was back again! Willy frowned at his reflection in the mirror, his purple eyes narrowing to slits as he tried to think. Perhaps he could write it down and have her read it? No, that was too impersonal...she probably wouldn't believe it anyway, if it was just words on paper.

"I've got to tell her, but how do I do that without breaking into a sweat and a stutter?" Willy said aloud. As he watched Bob smooth down his hair, Willy tried to think up a speech off the top of his head, but didn't get very far. All he could think about was Danika and her beautiful eyes and...

"Her hair!" he yelled, startling Bob off of his stool. He could ask for a lock of her hair, which would then lead to him telling her why he wanted it in the first place!

Leaping out of his chair, Willy ran to his closet, trying to figure out what to wear for the night. After all, he had a girl to impress, and his ordinary suit was not going to do it! Before he could tear into his wardrobe, however, he felt a tug on his pants and looked down.

There stood several Oompa Loompas, and they had a completely unique wardrobe in their hands. A white shirt, black pants, boots, and cane, along with a black overcoat shot with silver. It was perfect! Willy quickly dressed and followed Bob to the same room they'd been in just three weeks ago.

* * *

Once again, he arrived only moments before she did. When she stepped through the door, Willy felt his jaw drop. She was beautiful! Her hair had been left down, and it spilled over her bare shoulders. He made a mental note to tell the Oompa Loompas to make her more dresses like this one.

When she was close enough, he took her hand in his gloved one and brought it to his lips. "You're beautiful tonight, Starshine," he whispered. As he looked up, he saw a light blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you," she said, smoothing out her dress, though there was nothing wrong with it. He smiled and looped his arm around her waist and led her to her chair.

All through dinner they talked about what had been going on the past few weeks, Willy about his candy, and Danika about her family. When they'd finished dinner, Willy stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her out to the middle of the room. Instantly, a slow waltz began to play.

Pulling her to his chest, Willy began to lead her in small circles, smiling all the while. They glided around for several minutes in a bubble of happiness, just being with each other. Too soon, the moment was broken when the music stopped.

"Danika, there's something I need to ask you," Willy said, his voice slightly shaking from nervousness.

She looked up at him and smiled, her green eyes scanning his features. He plunged his hands into her hair; it was incredibly smooth, even through his gloves. He opened his mouth about to ask her, when she took his hands in hers.

* * *

When he put his hands in her hair, she was in heaven. Nika remembered that when she was little girl, she had always begged her mother to play with her hair and to put it up in so many different styles. The feel of fingers combing through her hair had always been soothing to her, and it was familiar as well.

She was brought out of her reverie by the feel of material bunching up under Willy's fingertips. She put her hands on his wrists, suddenly wondering why he always wore gloves. Did he need to hide something? Was something wrong with his hands, or did he not like touching other people's skin with his? Nika took his hands and slid them from her hair, holding them gently between her own.

"Willy? Can I take your gloves off?" she asked.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, but nodded. She took one hand and slid the latex glove off. She stared at the back of it; there was nothing there. Turning it over, she searched every inch of his pale hand for any sort of thing he might be trying to hide. Nothing! Turning to his other hand, she repeated the procedure, examining everything about his pale, smooth hand and fingers.

Still nothing. As she looked over his hands once more, she noticed that they were big, not disproportionately, but they were larger than hers. When she placed her hand within his, Willy could easily curl his fingers over the tips of hers. She ran her hands over the smooth surface of his hands; they were pleasantly warm as she placed one on her cheek.

He slid his hands down to her neck, just under her jaw, and ran his thumb over her lips. Nika felt as if she could just stay there forever, but one question kept tugging at the back of her head. "I don't get it," she said. "If you have nothing to hide, why do you always wear gloves?"

"I…well, I really don't like to touch people…" Willy said quietly. Her mouth formed a silent 'O' as she pulled his hands off her neck so as not to offend him somehow. However, he grabbed her hands before she could drop them. "But you, however, I love to touch," he said smiling.

Danika smiled as she pulled his hands up to her lips and placed several feather-light kisses on them, bringing a blush to Willy's cheeks. She let his hands go and they instantly found their way back into her hair again.

"What I wanted to ask you was, could I have a lock of your hair?" he asked, sliding a section between his fingers.

She looked up at him oddly. "Why do you want a piece of my hair?" she asked, confused as to why he would ask for such a thing.

"Because I love the way your hair feels," he softly said, smiling. "It's so silky, and I want to be able to have at least a part of you with me wherever I go, because I l …l…. l…. oh great chocolate gods! I l…l…l…" Danika put a finger to his lips.

"Shhh, just calm down, breathe." Willy did as he was told. "Now, what are you going to tell me?" she asked, removing her finger.

"I l…love you," he softly whispered.

Danika's mouth fell open, she couldn't believe her ears. "Y…you love me?" she said, almost breathlessly. Damn it, his stutter was affecting her too. He swallowed loudly and took a deep breath.

"Yes…I love you more than life itself," he whispered to her, his breath warm on her face. "If I had a rose for every time I thought of you while you were gone, and when you aren't with me, I'd be walking in the greatest garden on earth."

Nika could feel her heart pounding in her chest. He loved her! "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," she whispered to him.

Suddenly, she felt a tug on the skirt of her dress and looked down. There stood an Oompa Loompa, a tiny knife in its hand and a large grin on his face. Nika blushed as she took the small blade and cut a strand from the lock that hung over her face, handing the tool back to the tiny man before bestowing the gift on the eagerly awaiting chocolatier in front of her.

* * *

Willy took the offering as though it were the most priceless thing in the world. The red strands glittered like copper and starlight, all mixed together. Waving his hands towards the wall, he felt tiny fingers press something into his palm. Looking down, Willy saw a necklace with two flat, clear pieces of crystal about the size of a silver dollar attached to a thin chain of gold. Prying them apart, he put the precious lock of hair between them and closed them together again. It was as though the hair was encased in glass; Willy could see every single strand of it. Smiling, he slid the gold chain over his neck and placed the hair where he needed it the most…right next to his heart.

* * *

AN: Hope that wasn't too sappy or anything. Please tell us how we did, it'd mean a lot to us! Thanks!


	16. Unexpected Encounters with Chocolate

Disclaimer: Presently, we authors have tried to get our Oompa Loompa muses/helpers to get us into the Burton Compound to retrieve the infamous Willy Wonka, but have had no luck…so until we can bribe the little boogers (via pounds of cocoa beans) into obeying us, we don't own Willy Wonka.

AN: More sap in this chapter, as well as something that might cause some very… naughty dreams tonight. (Much winking and coughing going on by authors) Enjoy!

**Chapter 16: Unexpected Encounters with Chocolate:**

Nika woke late the next morning in a very unusual mixture of moods. She did her best to remember the night before, and feelings of joy and unease filled her heart. Willy Wonka, the greatest candy maker in the world, was in love with her. The idea just blew her mind away. And he had asked for a lock of her hair, which she had granted without a second thought…

"Because I love him," she whispered, smiling to herself as she stared up at the crème canopy above her bed.

She hadn't told Willy last night, but he had to have seen the joy in her face when he'd told her about his own feelings…right? Oh, but if he thought she didn't return his feelings…Nika didn't want to think about that. She just had to find the right time and place to tell him, like he had done the night before with her. Last night had been Willy's night, and tonight would be hers. She knew that Willy was up to something, last night he'd had that sparkle in his eye that told her that he was planning something for today, and she would have to wait to see what it was. Once the time was right, though…

"I'll tell him I love him," Nika softly muttered to herself.

Soft giggles from the side of her bed made her sit up in bed and look over. There stood Wendell and four other Oompa Loompas, all with grins plastered on their small faces. The four other tiny people held her breakfast tray, but Wendell held a letter (written in gold ink on purple paper) in his hands. They all giggled at her sudden blush, and handed her the tray. Nika eagerly dug into her food and tried to ignore the knowing smirks and chuckles of the Oompa Loompas as she ate.

Once the food was gone and the tray had been moved to the side, the five tiny beings stood and stared at her with excitement all over their faces. It was obvious they knew that she loved their Tall Cocoa Bean Man, and they wanted her to say it again so they could giggle with joy about it. However, she wasn't going to humor them, and simply smiled as she took the note from Wendell and opened it. The Oompa Loompas groaned in disappointment, but Nika ignored them so she could see what message Willy had for her today.

_My Dearest Danika,_

_I have a very special surprise for you today. After you've dressed, please follow Wendell (as well as his little group of followers, which I'm sure you've already met this morning…gossipers, all of them, like to keep up on what's going on around the factory all the time). He will bring you to me._

_Until later, my Starshine,_

_Willy_

Nika blushed, causing the Oompa Loompas to giggle some more. "Oh, _will_ you stop that?" she cried, clamping her hands over her red cheeks.

This only caused the tiny men to laugh outright at her, a couple even making kissing noises as the other made calf-eyes at her. Nika groaned; this was going to be a very long morning…

* * *

When Willy awoke early that morning with something cool pressed against his chest, he at first didn't know what it was. Reaching upwards, his fingers found a thin chain wrapped around his neck, and he pulled out the globe of crystal that held a glittering red curl in it.

'_Danika's hair_,' Willy thought to himself, a grin spreading across his face as he remembered the night before.

The previous night had been heaven for the Amazing Chocolatier. He had received the lock of hair he so desperately desired, and he had finally admitted his feelings for a certain redhead. The look on Danika's face had been priceless; the surprise, the joy, and the dreamy look in her eyes had all been worth saying those three meaningful words: _I love you_.

Sighing, Willy smiled dreamily and looked at the encased red lock of hair in his palms. Although Danika hadn't said she loved him in return, Willy knew that he had time to win her over if she didn't. But if he was correct, the look on her face showed that she did, indeed, care for him, even if she hadn't said it aloud. However, he would get her to speak those words someday soon. He just had to think of a way to do it…

An idea suddenly hit Willy upside the head in a flash of brilliance. His new boat! He hadn't had time to try it out yet, so why not take Danika on the maiden voyage of his ship? It would be romantic, if he had the lights turned down a bit or have them shine in different colors. Frowning in thought, Willy didn't notice the Oompa Loompas by his bed until they started giggling. Jerking his head around, Willy jumped in surprise, nearly falling off the bed in the process.

"What are you laughing at?" he grumbled as he straightened himself out on the bed. He heard them laugh, but simply rolled his eyes at them. "Okay, fine, whatever. Could you," he pointed to three Oompa Loompas, "bring me some paper, a pen, and the inkpot? And you," he pointed to the last four in the room, "bring me breakfast at once? I have things to do!"

The Oompa Loompas hurried to do his bidding, and Willy spent an hour trying to set up his plan for the afternoon. After the note had been placed into Wendell's capable hands, the famous chocolatier dressed in his trademarked colors and rushed out the door, eager for the day to begin!

* * *

Nika was incredibly nervous as Wendell picked out a simple, ankle-length dress of red crushed velvet. She thought it was a bit too much, but the Oompa Loompa seemed to like it a lot. After she was dressed, the two of them headed off in a direction that Nika hadn't walked through yet. Shrugging, she followed her tiny guide deeper into the factory and into the most amazing room she'd ever seen.

* * *

Willy nervously adjusted his collar, checking time and again to make sure he looked all right; he wanted everything to be perfect for his little romantic moment with Danika. This would be his chance to impress her with the boat, so he had to make it count. Impatiently looking at his watch, he began tapping his foot.

"Where is she?" he muttered.

Then the doors opened, and a woman in shimmering red walked in, a look of awe creeping over her face as she looked upon the newest room of the factory, and Willy Wonka's pride and joy, born of his incredible creative talents…

The Chocolate Room.

* * *

Nika stood and stared at all of the wonderful things around her. The smells of chocolate, mint, taffy, and a million other good things flooded her senses, and she felt ready to fall on her knees and thank the chocolate gods above for giving her this chance in life. She was so busy looking around that she didn't notice Willy approach her until he tapped her on the shoulder.

"You can look later," he whispered into her ear as he took her arm. "I've got something special planned for today."

Nika nodded as she was escorted to a river that was a creamy brown, the color of melted chocolate. Turning a questioning gaze at Willy, he simply smiled innocently as a beautiful pink boat in the shape of a seahorse appeared, powered by Oompa Loompas. Now, normally she hated pink, but for Willy, she'd make an exception. Squealing in excitement, she hugged the man next to her. Surprised (and very pleased with her reaction), he happily hugged her back.

"Let's go aboard, shall we?" he said, smiling.

Getting on first, Willy held his hand out to Nika so that he could help her into the boat. The two of them took seats at the very rear and Willy turned towards the rowers.

"Onwards!" he cried. The boat jerked as the little Oompa Loompas put all of their strength into their task.

* * *

Willy swallowed hard when they entered a dark tunnel. He saw Nika's eye widen a little in fear and took her hand in his gloved one, hoping to comfort her. She smiled a bit at him in the dim light of the tunnel. Once her hand was secure in his, Willy called out for the lights to be switched on. A rainbow of colors filled the hall, and he heard her gasp in amazement as she saw the rooms of the factory go by as they sailed on.

Suddenly, the boat began to dip as the river became rougher. Nika clamped his hand tightly in response, and Willy did his best to reassure her that the ride was safe. The boat suddenly dropped, and Nika let out a scream of surprise, causing Willy to hold her hand even tighter. After a few moments, the ride smoothed out and the two released the death-grip they had on the other's hand. Curious, Nika leaned over the side of the boat to get a better look at the river. Without warning, the boat jerked, and Nika was suddenly no longer by his side.

"Danika!" Willy yelled, throwing himself to the side of the boat as the alarmed Oompa Loompas immediately stopped rowing.

He saw her floating several feet away, trying to keep her head above the thick chocolate that made up the river. Panicking and fearing for her life, Willy stripped down to his pants faster than he thought humanly possible and dove in after her. Easily swimming his way over to her, he wrapped an arm around her and dragged her back towards the boat.

Many Oompa Loompas reached over to help their boss and his love into the boat. Once the two of them were safely aboard, the tiny people rowed towards the nearest safest place as Willy checked to see if Nika was still breathing. Finding that she wasn't, Willy decided to do the only thing he could think of and remember from his swimming lessons so long ago…

Pressing his hands onto her cheeks, Willy began performing what _he_ considered "CPR" on the unconscious Danika.

* * *

However, what Willy Wonka did not know was that Nika already was conscious and breathing...Willy had just done a poor job of checking her over. So, when Willy was trying to perform mouth-to-mouth, Nika was shocked when his lips clamped over hers. Freezing in shock, Nika couldn't help but lie there and accept his well-meaning attempts to save her life.

After a moment, Nika moved and spontaneously grabbed Willy by the shoulders, pulling him down on top of her and moving her lips against his. Willy was surprised when she pulled him down, but quickly recovered and pressed his lips harder on hers. He let his tongue slip between hers and Nika couldn't help but give a soft sigh against his lips.

* * *

Thinking that he'd done something wrong, Willy tried to pull back, but the feel of Danika's hands along his shoulders kept him where he was. He could feel chocolate dripping down his body, but ignored it…this was too good a moment to pass by! Willy could feel Danika begin to suck on his tongue and let her do it, her hands running from his bare, chocolate-covered shoulders towards his neck, the better to hold him there in that kissing position.

Slight coughing from around him pilled Willy's attention away from Danika's fantastically candy-flavored lips and towards the lone Oompa Loompa currently standing by them, a very red blush across his cheeks. Gesturing towards the towels and water-filled bucket nearby, the Oompa Loompa then left them alone at the bottom of the boat, still coated in chocolate.

Danika nervously coughed as well. "I guess that's our cue to get cleaned up," she said softly.

Willy nodded and gulped, saddened by the moment being broken. "Uh, yeah." He quickly sat back on his heels and slid his arms under her knees and around her waist. "Come on, I'll carry you back to your room."

"Oh, Willy, you don't have to do that!" she said, blushing as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can walk, you know."

"Not on your life," he said, smiling down at her. Her green eyes met his purple ones, and Willy could feel his heart skip a beat. "Um, onwards!" he said, giving her a broad smile.

"Oh, and Willy?" she said, grabbing his attention.

"Hmm?" He looked down at her, puzzled.

"Call me Nika," she whispered as she wiped some chocolate off his neck with a finger.

Willy smiled all the way back to the private sleeping rooms.

* * *

AN: Wow, kind of heated, sappy, and drool-worthy, huh? Review and let us know what you thought of the chapter! 


	17. Unusual Actions

Disclaimer: Bribe for our Oompa Loompa helpers: 50 cocoa beans. Cool spy gear for the entering of Tim Burton's compound: 700 cocoa beans. The rights to Willy Wonka: Too many cocoa beans. Having him in our possession under lock and key but still not owning him: priceless.

For all your Chocolatier abducting needs, there's MasterCard. (We don't own that either)

A/N: **Warning! This chapter contains mature themes, so if you don't like it, don't read! If you don't want to think about a very aroused Willy Wonka, please skip the last few sections of the chapter! Thank you, and enjoy! **

**Chapter 17- Unusual Actions:**

Willy carried Danika back to her room and deposited her in the middle of her white haven. Setting her gently onto the bed (despite her chocolate-covered appearance), Willy lay her back on the pillows and looked into her eyes, checking to be sure she was alright. After a few moments of silently gazing at one another, Nika blushed.

"We're pretty dirty. Um, maybe we should clean up?" Nika suggested, shifting under Willy's intense violet gaze.

"Oh, but I like you covered in chocolate," he whispered, taking a finger and wiping it along her shoulder, then placing it in his mouth.

Danika found that this simple, yet sensual, movement brought a very heavy warmth that settled in the pit of her stomach. As she watched Willy lick the chocolate from his finger, she suddenly felt a strong urge to jump him and tear their clothes off, ravishing him right then and there. After a moment of watching him and dreaming about what she could do to him, Nika shook her head to clear her thoughts instead of acting out her secret fantasies.

As the naughty thoughts slowly faded from her mind, Nika realized how brave Willy had been to dive in and save her from the chocolate river. It had been an incredibly dangerous situation, one which could have easily led to the both of them drowning in the rushing river of the sweet, brown confection. But he hadn't given it a second thought the moment he realized that she had been in deadly peril, and had willingly endangered his own life to save hers.

Smiling, she looked up into his concerned purple eyes. "Thank you, for saving my life," she whispered, still wrapped in his arms even though she was safely deposited in the middle of her bed.

Willy gulped. "Uh," he croaked before clearing his throat. "You're welcome." A slight blush was visible through the thin film of chocolate still clinging to his cheeks.

Nika smiled at the blush, her fingers moving up to gently clear away the chocolate. She could feel his fingers doing the same to her, and before she realized what was happening, Willy's lips were on hers. She was slightly startled when he pushed her back on the bed, the feeling of his bare, chocolate covered chest pressing against her shirt and sticking, as his tongue lazily brushed against her bottom lip.

As she pressed against the pillows, Danika cautiously opened her mouth to his demands, and was rewarded with the sweet taste of chocolate on his tongue. Smiling, she wanted to taste more of him and moved her leg so that it entwined with his. She carefully shifted her body so that they rolled over and Willy was on his back underneath _her_.

Nika smiled when she pulled back from the embrace as she sat back on his stomach, his hands eagerly reaching for her, trying to pull her back down to him.

"Ah, ah, ah! Settle down…" she chided him, wagging a finger at him.

Willy reluctantly dropped his hands down to his side with a pout. It was quickly replaced with a grin and a groan when Nika leaned down and began licking the chocolate off of his neck teasingly. He put his hands on her back, needing to feel her body underneath his as she moved down to his neck and onto his chest, lapping the chocolate up as if she was starving for him. A moan escaped his lips as her tongue trailed over a sensitive nipple that was cleverly hidden by the dark sweetness.

Not being able to take it any more, Willy flipped Nika back over onto her back. He then planted a hard kiss on her lips before leaning down, in return licking the chocolate off her neck, nipping at several sensitive places. A few satisfactory moans escaped from her throat as his lips continued their assault on her body.

Willy's hands were busying themselves, worming their way around her body, slipping under her shirt and trying to remove it and unfasten her bra when he heard a string of Oompa Loompa curses come from the side of the bed. Raising his head, he saw Bob covering his eyes and screaming.

Basically, in the simplest terms, the translation was: "$#&! MY EYES! RUN AWAY! THAT"S $#& NASTY! _ACK!_" This was the string of sentences that Bob managed to yell before he ran away, screaming.

Willy looked down at Danika, who looked up at him, a confused look on her face. "Um…I think we should clean up now…..I think I'm going to take a cold shower…."

And with much regret, he stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

After he had showered, Willy gently toweled his hair dry and began going through his wardrobe. Once he was dressed in a loose red shirt, black pants and boots, he began doing his best to keep himself from thinking about what had happened...before...

"NO, don't even go there!" he scolded himself, trying to push the image of a chocolate-covered Danika out of his mind.

It was no use. Despite trying to think of something else, he could feel a sort of heat run through his body that he'd never felt before in his life, and it made him very uncomfortable.

"Time for another cold shower," he muttered to himself, turning back towards the bathroom. After yet another cold shower Willy walked back into his room and flopped down on his bed in nothing but his towel. He sighed; the shower hadn't helped the second time.

Now, Willy Wonka was no stranger to the feeling of arousal, but this was entirely different. He knew from experience that the usual arousal would go away, but he could tell this one definitely wouldn't…at least, not on its own. He sighed and thought over his options. When he came to only one, he shook his head. He hadn't been forced into masturbation for a long time, not since Marian was around the factory and he'd thought about her at night.

Sighing again, Willy sat up and threw the towel off of his body and got set on the task before him.

* * *

Danika was laying in her bed after her shower smiling to herself as she reran the earlier events in her mind. She made a mental note to make that "warning" sign for the doorknob that Willy had suggested when the last interruption had been made. It had been perfect, until the Oompa Loompa (Bob, she thought) had come in and interrupted the wonderful teasing Willy had been giving her. 

Suddenly feeling restless, Nika did her best to keep herself occupied until Willy came back. It was then that she realized that the chocolatier hadn't exactly promised to return _after_ his shower. Wondering what was keeping him, Danika stood up from the bed and headed out the door and into the hallway, intent on finding her missing chocolatier.

Half an hour, after looking around at all the doors in the private sleeping wing of the factory, Nika realized that she had no idea which door belonged to Willy's bedroom. When she finally stopped at the only purple door in the hallway, Nika thought she might have found what she was looking for. She raised her hand to knock on the door when she suddenly heard a strangled moan come from behind it. Pressing her ear to the door, she heard several more breathy groans follow it.

"Oh, my god," Danika whispered. "Is he really…..is he really doing _that!_"

Her thoughts were confirmed when she heard Willy cry out her name, followed by a few breathy pants. She put her back to the wall just to the right of his door and slid down, her head in her hands as a blush crept up her cheeks.

* * *

With his distraction gone, Willy cleaned himself up for the third time and dressed. He decided to pay Danika a visit and see if she wanted to take a walk in the Chocolate room. So, putting on his coat and hat, he grabbed his cane and reached for the doorknob. 

He took one step out the door when he saw Danika sitting next to his door, a very rosy blush all over her face.

'_Great Chocolate Gods above…'_

Willy smacked himself in the head as a blush of his own crept up his face.

* * *

AN: Alright now, we're betting every one of you is going to raise your hand when we ask who would want to fix Willy's problem for him…Well, we hope you enjoyed this naughty chapter, but whether or not you did, please review! 


	18. Uncomfortable Thoughts

Disclaimer: Despite praying to the Chocolate Gods Above, they haven't granted our request to the rights and ownership of Willy Wonka…or his chocolate factory…or anything else…

AN: We're terribly sorry about the whole waiting thing…one of our authoresses has had to visit a sick family member in the hospital, so that is why this chapter is so late in coming. However, now that the sick family member is well and safely at home, the updates should be more frequent…unless real life decides to be a pain in the butt again…anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter 18: Uncomfortable Thoughts**:

A sense of awkwardness fell between the two as they traveled along the pathways in the Chocolate Room. Willy and Danika walked next to one another, but weren't touching, just walking and listening to the only noise in the room: the chocolate waterfall rushing in the background. A lovely shade of red had settled onto their cheeks, and Danika felt that, at that moment, talking would be a bad thing.

'_I mean, it was bad enough that I heard him doing **that** in his bedroom_!' she thought to herself, taking a small peek out of the corner of her eye at Willy's face, hoping that he wouldn't catch her.

The two hadn't spoken since Willy had come out of his room and asked (in a stuttering sentence) if she would like to take a walk in the ever-beautiful Chocolate Room. Nika had only nodded her acceptance and the rest of the day had been uncomfortably silent. They hadn't even been able to look each other in the eye since then! Nika silently sighed to herself and risked another glance at the man walking next to her.

Never had she seen a man as attractive as Willy Wonka. Well, she was sure there were probably better _looking_ men out there, but Willy had to be one of the best-looking guys in a top hat and purple gloves she'd ever seen! She could swear that those purple eyes would be her undoing someday. Not to mention that he was so kind and sweet and caring that he really didn't seem like the kind of guy to…well…_do that_ sort of thing in his room while thinking about a girl who lived just down the hall from his bedroom!

'_I'll bet he could have any girl he wanted_,' she thought, crossing her arms across her chest. '_And yet, he called **my** name when he_…'

She blushed and looked over to see Willy blush, too. He must be thinking about the same thing that she was. Nika's face got redder at the thought that Willy was thinking about what he'd done earlier. Well, he was a man, after all, and she supposed that all men did that when they were aroused. It was still embarrassing, though.

'_I wonder what he's thinking about_.' Nika mentally shrugged her shoulders and kept walking, praying that one of them would break this uncomfortable silence soon.

* * *

Willy did everything he could to keep himself from sighing aloud and breaking the silence that ruled the room. There was no doubt in his mind that his lovely Danika would no longer wish to speak with him or want to be anywhere near him, now that she'd heard what he had been doing in his room. He wanted to be upset with her for overhearing him, but since it was _her_ that he'd been thinking about, there was really nothing for him to be angry about.

'_She has every right to not speak to me, after what I've done_,' Willy thought to himself, staring down at the ground as he walked.

It wasn't his fault that he found himself wanting her in that way, especially after that moment with the chocolate. He wanted so badly to have gotten further with her, and had it not been for Bob interrupting, they likely would have gotten much further than they had! Willy made a mental note to have a long talk with the entire Oompa Loompa population about their sense of timing, and _soon_.

He risked a glance at Danika. She was looking straight ahead, apparently deep in thought, and very likely thinking about what had happened upstairs. Willy inwardly sighed. He wanted so badly to apologize for earlier, but their actions from before had forced him to do something drastic; if he hadn't acted when he did, well…it's never comfortable for a man to walk around like that, though he wanted her to know how much he wanted her. But it still hadn't been right for her to find out his feelings like she did.

"I'm sorry."

At first, Willy wasn't sure whether or not he'd spoken those words aloud or in his mind, but from the way Danika's head had turned towards him, Willy knew that his words had indeed been spoken. Green eyes met violet, and the two of them simply stared at one another. For a moment, Willy was lost in a haze of green, his heart speeding up as he realized that he'd better say something before she did.

"I had no right to act in such a primitive way," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. "But you must understand that I had no other choice."

"What do you mean?" She didn't sound mad, just confused.

Willy sighed and reached out to take her hands in his, letting his cane fall to the ground. He hadn't put on his gloves, and the feel of her soft skin against his both soothed him and set his heart on fire. Great Chocolate Gods Above, he loved this woman! She was so amazingly good to him, and since she hadn't slapped him or become angry at his actions, Willy knew that she was at least willing to listen to him.

"I…well, I l-l-love you, so much," he stuttered, looking down at their connected hands. "I was just so…hot, from earlier, that I had to act on it." His thumbs stroked the back of her hands. "And I didn't want to act and…_you know_, if you weren't willing or ready for…that…"

Willy mentally kicked himself. He really wasn't very good at talking to women; Marian and the rejections of numerous teenage girls in his past were proof of that. Oh, he knew what he wanted to say, but what was in his mind and what came out of his mouth were two completely different things, and it often made him the laughing stock of the female half of the population. He only prayed that his dear Nika wasn't one of those women.

A gentle squeezing pressure against his fingers caused him to look up into lovely orbs of green, eyes that held understanding and a bit of what he assumed was embarrassment. Willy felt his heart soar; she wasn't laughing at him, and didn't think of him as disgusting for what he'd done! And she wasn't laughing at his explanation of his actions! He smiled shyly at her.

"It's okay." Nika's voice was soft, but he could hear her clearly. "It's just, well, new to me that a man would think of me in that way and act on those thoughts. I've never had that happen to me before."

A soft blush on her cheeks made her charming to look at, and Willy was soon blushing with her. He was just glad that she didn't hate him or was offended by him. Quickly, before she could change her mind or her attitude, he pulled her into a tight embrace and held her. One of his hands found its way into her coppery strands of hair while the other settled into the curve of her back. Sighing, Willy savored the contact as Danika's arms found their way around his waist.

"So, you forgive me, Starshine?" he whispered, wanting to be sure. She sighed into his shoulder, and Willy grew tense, thinking that she'd changed her mind.

"I don't think there's anything to forgive, Willy," she softly replied. "You were just acting on instinct, and I understand that." Danika pulled her head back and looked up at him. "It was just an odd situation to find you in, that's all. It really surprised me." She blushed slightly before placing a quick kiss on his lips. "Plus, I appreciate you being so considerate of me and that sort of…situation." She smiled at him as she gave him another kiss.

Willy grinned and eagerly returned the kiss, his arms never moving from their places in her hair and on her back. When the two of them separated a few moments afterwards, Willy placed one of her hands in the crook of his elbow and guided her on a slow walk around the Chocolate Room, the smell of mint grass and chocolate filling the air around them.

* * *

Silently watching their beloved Cocoa Bean Man and Fire-Haired Girl, the Oompa Loompas shook their heads. They knew what their boss had done in his rooms; he was only human after all, and the male half of the Oompa Loompa population could understand his position. Meanwhile, the female Oompa Loompas watching thought it was sweet of the Fire-Haired Girl to forgive him so easily.

_She must really love him, to forgive him so easily_, signed one female Oompa Loompa to another.

The six others crowded around her nodded and proceeded to watch the two Tall Folks walk down the paths of the huge Chocolate Room. The small beings very much wanted the Tall Ones to join together and have violet-eyed younglings to fill the air with their presence and laughter. The Tall Cocoa Bean Man deserved to be happy, and they had no doubt that the Fire-Haired Girl could do just that.

The tiny people quietly watched as their beloved boss stopped at the top of a hill, quickly putting his coat down on the mint-flavored grass so that his lady could sit down and enjoy a view of the flowing river. After the flame-haired woman had sat down, the Cocoa Bean Man sat down as well, fiddling with a few candy flowers as he discreetly watched her every move. After a few minutes, he surprised everyone by placing his head in the Flame-Haired Girl's lap and gazing up at her with a broad smile. The Oompa Loompas giggled quietly as the girl gave a surprised, but pleased, smile at his actions.

Later that afternoon, the Oompa Loompas met in their wing of the factory to discuss what to do next concerning the two Tall People they loved so dearly.

_We **must** work harder to bring them together_, signed one Oompa Loompa female to the entire tribe. _What we are doing is not enough_, _and our timing is terrible_! She glared at Bob, who blushed.

The others agreed and began discussing plans to do to next, well into the night.

Unaware of the plots being made, a chipper Willy Wonka escorted an equally happy Danika to the Inventing Room to show her the latest candies, their fingers tightly entwined together.

* * *

AN: Yes, kind of mushy, but we all know how much you guys love sap and Oompa Loompa plots (wink, wink). Anyway, please show your love by reviewing! It helps us write faster (and keeps our Oompa Loompa muses/helpers happy). Thanks! 


	19. Of Phantoms and Fights

Disclaimer:sings The Chooooooooooclatier in the factoryyyyyyyyy is there, inside our hoooooome! not singing anymore but that doesn't mean we own him… darn….

A/N: Many apologies concerning this chapter. School, work, and life are terrible things when it comes to writing, and stuff does happen. We do hope you'll enjoy the chapter, though!

**Chapter 19: Of Phantoms and Fights:**

(3 Weeks later)

Danika was in her room brushing her hair for the start of the day when Wendell and another strangely familiar Oompa Loompa came in, carrying an envelope. Unbeknownst to her, Willy was at this moment holding an exact duplicate of the very same letter. It read:

_Dear Tall People,_

_We would very much like to apologize for the intrusions that have been taking place lately during your private moments. We Oompa Loompas have taken these past three weeks to prepare a surprise to make it up to you this evening. We expect you in the Chocolate Room at precisely 7 o'clock. Thank you, and once again we would like to apologize for the rude interruptions of your personal relations with each other._

_Your humble Servants,_

_The Oompa Loompa Tribe_

Danika lowered the letter. "Of course I'll go!" she said smiling, "and all is forgiven." She added throwing a slight glare in the other Oompa Loompa that she now recognized as Bob. She giggled as a very red Bob and a smug Wendell left the room.

* * *

Danika and Willy arrived in the Chocolate room at precisely 7 o'clock to find a makeshift stage set up in the middle of a mint grass meadow. She gave Wily a confused look but he just shrugged and shook his head. They took their seats in the provided chairs and sat back as a few Oompa Loompas scurried around to finish preparing their scheme.

When the show started, all the lights in the small theater dimmed to near-darkness, leaving just enough light to see faint shadows and silhouettes as one Oompa Loompa began to bang a gavel on a table. The Oompa Loompas had spent the past 3 weeks perfecting their English just so they could bring the two tall people closer together.

Danika was startled when the Oompa Loompas began speaking almost perfect English. She made a mental note to ask someone about it as the trademark line of the play came up.

"Lot 666, then: a chandelier in pieces. Some of you may recall the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera: a mystery never fully explained. We are told, ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier that figured in the famous disaster. Our workshops have restored it and fitted up parts of it with wiring for the new electric light, so that we may get a hint of what it may look like when reassembled. Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination. Gentlemen?"

The two taller folk watched in awe as the tiny Oompa Loompas proceeded to act out the entire musical before their eyes. Neither one had known that the little beings could sing opera (or whatever it was) so well! Both Danika and Willy held their breaths when it came to the part they called "The Choice," the one where Christine had to choose between the Phantom and Raoul.

Christine stood between the two men who loved her and looked from one to the other. Both Nika and Willy knew how the musical and movie ended, but there was something different in the air of this particular account...

"Make your choice!" the Phantom commanded harshly.

Nika began to weep in pity for the Phantom because she knew how the ending usually went. Willy magically produced a sweet-smelling handkerchief and handed it to her. She took it with a small 'thank-you' and turned back to the play.

Christine turned towards Raoul, tied to the gate. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him. Turning around, she walked towards the Phantom and kissed him passionately. Pulling back, she looked him in the eyes. "I've made my choice."

Overcome with emotion the Phantom released her to go back to her love and turned away from her. She took hold of the Phantom's face and made him look back in her eyes. "No. I choose _you_, I love _you_. I want to stay here, with you."

Danika and Willy both sat up straight in their chair when they heard this. Danika looked over and saw a single tear flow down the Chocolatier's cheek as a few of her own trailed down her face.

"I've made my choice as well," she whispered into the darkness, still gazing up at the magnificent chocolatier. Willy's head jerked around, his violet eyes somehow meeting hers in the dark.

Without thinking, Willy's lips met hers, just as Christine's met Erik's onstage. As their kiss grew more and more passionate the Oompa Loompas closed the curtains and snuck off leaving the two of them in each other's arms in the dim lighting.

A few hours later, Willy escorted a giggling Danika back to her room before heading off to bed himself.

* * *

(3 days later)

Danika and Willy were comfortably situated in a comfortable room that lay between their quarters. It had once been a guest room, but Willy had converted it to a parlor/living room, a place other than the library where the two of them could get together and talk over hot chocolate. This lovely late-afternoon, the two of them were talking about the ending of the Phantom of the Opera play that the Oompa Loompas had put on three days before. Cups of hot chocolate were gently held in their hands as they talked about Christine's choices in the movie and the recently seen play.

"To me, it would make sense that she would choose Raoul," Nika said in between sips of cocoa. "I mean, the two had known each other when they were kids, and after that whole separation thing, it's only natural that they fall for each other later! It's a classic case of childhood romance!"

"But the Phantom was always there for her!" Willy protested. "He loved her, taught her to sing, made her a great star, and look at what she did to him!"

"Yeah, but he'd become a father-figure to her, and no girl would want to marry her father!" Nika stopped for a moment. "Well, okay, maybe very _sick_ girls, but really, no girl would want _that_."

Willy thought about that for a moment before nodding. "You're right," he slowly replied. He suddenly smiled. "Just don't let it go to your head."

Nika laughed before going back to her chocolate. After a few moments of silence, she decided to ask something that was bothering her for the past several minutes.

"So, did you have any romances when you were a kid?" she asked. "You know, crushes or things like that?"

* * *

Willy was instantly thrown back into middle school. His class was celebrating Valentine's Day, and everyone was exchanging cards. In elementary school, everyone got Valentines as a rule...in middle school, only friends and sweethearts got cards.

And Willy Wonka had no real friends or sweethearts to give or get cards from...

As people eagerly tossed pink and red gifts and cards back and forth, Willy spent the holiday staring out the window as students made fun of his braces and the fact that he was alone on the most romantic holiday of the year.

* * *

"Willy, are you okay?" called a distant voice in his ear. Willy blinked his eyes and saw a concerned Danika looking at him from a kneeling position by his right knee.

"Sorry, I was having a flashback," he said, blushing.

"It didn't look like it was a good one," she said, reaching for his bare hands. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he replied in a squeaky voice, suddenly nervous. "Uh, care for more cocoa?"

The two sat in silence for a few more minutes before Willy asked the same question Danika had spoken twenty minutes before.

"So, what about you? Any past loves I should know about?" He smiled, jokingly. When Willy looked up to see her eyes, he saw her gaze downcast and a slight blush coming to her cheeks. "What? Don't tell me you don't want to tell me…I mean, I told you about me being in love with your aunt, so it's only fair…" he said quirking an eyebrow at her silence.

Avoiding eye contact, Danika sighed. "Well, there was this one, and only one, boyfriend I had a few years ago in college."

Willy felt his fingers tighten into fists on the arms of his chair. "Go on..." he said, trying not to explode at the idea of another man possibly kissing _his_ Danika.

"His name was Daniel, and he was in one of my writing courses," Danika said, not noticing Willy's rising anger as she stared into the cup in her hands. "He asked me out on a date, and the next thing I knew, we'd been dating for over a year." She sipped her cocoa. "He began going to dental school a few weeks into our relationship. Danny was quite good at what he did, and he certainly had the right hands and the right touch for it."

Willy felt his blood begin to boil. _The right hands_? Another man's hands on Danika, touching her, holding her... Willy's world went red.

"Did you kiss him?" Willy asked, gritting his teeth. "Did he touch you?"

Danika gave him the oddest look. "Of course I kissed him!" she said, as though it should be obvious. "We dated for a year, how could we _not_ kiss and hold hands?"

Willy was soon breathing erratically. Danika could see him aggressively clutching the arms of his chair, and she put her cup of cocoa down before standing up and backing away.

"I think I've said too much," she said nervously. "But you wanted to know, after all." Willy stood up and took a step towards her.

"Yes, and I'm glad that I asked! How could you let him touch you or even _kiss_ you?" He shuddered at the thought of someone kissing his Starshine.

Green eyes narrowed. "It was two years ago, Willy!" she said, hands on her hips. "It has nothing to do with us now! I can't believe we're arguing over something like this!"

"Two years ago or not, that man still touched you. It's…it's unacceptable. He was a d…d… oh, I can't believe this! He was a den…a den…"

"Oh, you are impossible, Willy Wonka!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm going for a walk." She stomped off, leaving a somewhat guilty (but still fairly upset) Willy Wonka behind her.

Danika walked past the heavy doors and out into the bland courtyard at the front of the factory, mumbling under her breath. She slid past the gates and started down the street, thinking over the earlier argument.

* * *

"I can't believe he's so worked up over this. That was two freaking years ago! Why is he so worked up over this? UGH!" Nika shouted as she began stomping down the sidewalk.

She was so busy fuming that she didn't notice the stranger until his arms were around her, one hand over her mouth.

* * *

AN: We are really sorry about the wait, and hope that you enjoyed the story…complete with cliffhanger! Anyway, please review, it keeps us and our Oompa Loompa muses happy! 


	20. Unexpected Heroics

Disclaimer: We tried to switch a life-like Wonka doll with the real thing, but Tim Burton is smarter than we thought…so we don't own the Amazingly Hot and Sexy Chocolatier…yet…

**Warning**: This chapter contains an aggressive assault on a woman. Nothing too graphic, but please be warned!

AN: Wow, we really can't believe we made it to chapter 20! It's absolutely amazing, and we'd like to thank all of you for sticking with us and loving our work. Thanks so much! Sorry about the cliffhangers, but can you really blame us for making things interesting? (wink, wink) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 20: Unexpected Heroics**:

Struggling against the arm across her waist, Danika had never been so frightened in her entire life. She'd never been attacked or 'ruffed up' in all her twenty-odd years of life, and it was making her knees weak with fear. She wanted so badly to call for help, but there was a hand across her mouth, and no one would have heard her anyway. It was dinnertime, and most, if not all, of the town residents were at home having supper with their families. She could only pray that her attacker only wanted her money…

"Relax, Nika, it's only me," whispered a male voice in her ear.

Danika's eyebrows almost flew off the top of her head in surprise. She knew that voice…

"I'm going to remove my hand, so don't scream, okay?"

Danika nodded her head and the hand slowly removed itself from her mouth. Turning her head slightly, she let out an angry huff. "Aaron, what are you _doing_?" she snapped, struggling against his hold on her. "Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Pale blue eyes blinked at her from under blond bangs. "I didn't mean to scare you, Nika," he softly replied, looking thoroughly ashamed.

Nika sighed. Aaron wasn't exactly a bright man, which is what made it seem almost utterly amazing that he'd managed to become a dental assistant in her uncle's office. He was good at what he did, but wasn't particularly 'with it' when it came to things that required common sense. For instance, dragging her off the street instead of greeting her like a normal human being. Rubbing her eyes, Danika tried to get her mind (and her patience) together.

"Aaron, you can't just snatch people off the street like that," she said, trying to sound calm and collected when all she wanted to do was punch the guy.

"I just wanted to talk to you," he whispered. Her "attacker" looked down at his feet, behaving like a small child instead of the 25-year-old, six-foot-tall man he was. He was also amazingly broad-shouldered, as well as strong, but he was still a gentle guy…as far as she knew…

Managing to pull away from Aaron's hold on her, Danika straightened herself out. She carefully opened the black trench coat to shake out the ankle-length, crushed velvet green dress that she'd changed into that morning. After she was sure that was back to normal, she readjusted her coat so that she looked presentable. Once she was sure of her appearance, Danika crossed her arms and glared at Aaron.

"Okay, so what did you want to talk to me about, Aaron?" she asked, still trying to keep her cool.

He smiled at her. "I wanted to know why you haven't been coming to work lately," he said, putting his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. "I've been worried about you."

Nika tried not to wince. She knew that Aaron had held a small crush on her since they'd met about four months ago, but she didn't think of him the same way. Sure, she was nice to him, but then, she was nice to everybody; it was just the type of person she was. The only people she wasn't nice to were people who were mean to her little cousin. She had paid no special attention to Aaron, but apparently he believed otherwise.

"I've been moving in with my boyfriend," she said, trying to appear nonchalant.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that her relationship with Willy didn't really have the sort of relationship levels like boyfriend and girlfriend. However, Nika really did think of Willy as her boyfriend, and it made her blush to actually get it out in the open. She cared very much for him, and the smallest thought of him and her being together _in that way_ warmed her heart and made it swell in her chest. A dreamy smile settled across her face, making her green eyes sparkle.

Aaron looked surprised at the news. "When did you get a boyfriend?" he demanded. "Who is he?"

Danika frowned. "I don't have to tell you," she said, glaring at him. "That's my own business, not yours!"

"It is my business!" Aaron insisted. "I've been wanting to ask you out for months, and then all of a sudden you have a _boyfriend_?"

"Well then you should have asked me out sooner," she said, taking a step towards the alleyway opening that led into the street. "And even if you had asked, there's no guarantee that I would have agreed to date you."

Aaron's jaw dropped. "You mean you wouldn't have gone out with me even if I'd asked?"

She nearly groaned at the man's cluelessness. "Aaron, just because I've been nice to you doesn't mean that I'm interested in you in that way," she said, walking towards the street. "Now I have to go, my boyfriend's expecting me."

A large hand grabbed her arm. "He can wait," Aaron growled, pulling her back towards the alley. "I want to talk to you about your 'new man.'"

"Well I don't want to talk to you about him!" she snapped. "Now let me go before I start screaming for help!"

Another large hand gripped her throat as its twin pressed her against a wall. "There, now you can't talk unless I let you." She was pressed harder to the wall. "Now, who's this boyfriend of yours?"

Nika glared up at him and refused to speak. If Aaron knew that she was in love with Willy Wonka, she didn't know what he'd do. Instead of risking harm to Willy and his company, she kept silent, praying that Aaron would give up this little inquisition of his and let her go before he did something drastic. She didn't like being held like this, and it scared the crap out of her.

"Tell me, Danika!" Aaron spat, the arm holding her against the wall pressing even harder. "Who's this man that has you so worked up and in the clouds?"

Instead of answering, she did something she never thought she'd have to do. She kicked him right between the legs.

Aaron went down in a large blond heap, and Nika made a run for it towards the factory. She'd just made it into the courtyard in the front of the factory when she heard someone climbing up and over the gate. Panicked, she began running towards the front doors. She hadn't made it three feet before a familiar big hand grabbed her and threw her to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream but Aaron covered it to prevent any sound from escaping.

"Thought that loony chocolate man Wonka could protect you when you ran in here, huh?" he whispered harshly into her ear. "There's not a chance of that ever happening." His hands gripped her even tighter. "I've watched and wanted you for months, Danika, and there's no way I'm going to let some other man take you away from me!"

His lips pressed harshly against hers, and she could feel stubble from where he hadn't shaved. Nika tried to pull away from the disgusting kiss, but Aaron wouldn't let her. She twisted and turned her body a dozen different ways to try and get away from him, but nothing worked. When he finally pulled away from the kiss, she began screaming for help.

"You can scream all you like, Nika, but no one can hear you!" he jeered down at her. "Everyone's at home, and there's no way anyone in the factory's going to come to your rescue!"

The hand that had been around her mouth now drifted towards the hem of her dress, quickly sliding underneath the fabric and going upwards. The thought of what he might do to her scared Danika out of her wits, and she wished more than anything that she'd stayed in the factory with the man she loved.

"Willy!" she screamed, hoping against hope that he would hear her. "Willy, please, help me!"

* * *

From inside the factory, Willy could hear someone screaming for help outside of his doors. Normally he despised having contact with other people, but if they were in trouble, he had to help them; after all, it was the right thing to do. He may be somewhat of a germaphobe, but he still had a heart when it came to helping others who were in trouble! A superhero he was not, but if he could help save someone who needed it, he'd do it. Gripping his cane for defense, he raced down towards the front doors, calling a group of Oompa Loompas to follow him and to arm themselves with Taffy-Trapping Guns, just in case.

Now, normally, Willy Wonka despised violence and guns. However, with all of the people trying to get into his factory, he'd had to develop some sort of defense against the outside world. So the Taffy-Trappers were designed to do just that: trap and bind people non-violently in a web of taffy that they could eat themselves out of in a couple of hours. However, Willy had a feeling that this evening's situation would require much more than the Trappers…

A few subtle hand motions, and the most experienced fighters of the Oompa Loompa tribe were instantly standing by, ready for battle. Taking a deep breath, Willy slid outside, seeing and hearing the most horrific scene possible, right in front of him…

* * *

As Danika continued to call out for help, she could feel Aaron settling himself between her thighs. Her screams grew more frantic, and tears were streaming down her face.

"You think _Willy Wonka_ is going to help you?" Aaron laughed. "He wouldn't give the Queen of England the time of day! Why would he care about you?"

"Because _she_ is the woman I love," stated an angry voice from behind him.

The blond man turned around and was instantly hit across the face with the end of a cane. Stunned, but by no means down, Aaron lay on his back on the ground, his lip bleeding and swollen. Not moving, he simply stared up at the chocolatier that had chosen to hide from the world for so long. In the fading light, Willy Wonka looked taller and far more sinister than anyone could believe in a top hat and long coat, a cane gripped threateningly in his gloved hands.

"The woman you love?" Aaron asked, disbelievingly.

"Is there an echo out here?" replied a sarcastic Willy Wonka, who was busy twirling his cane with nimble fingers. "Yes, she is the woman I love, and if you aren't off of my woman and my property in five seconds, I'll have you spitting out your teeth in six-five-four-"

Aaron was instantly on his feet and flying at the chocolatier, his hands raised to attack. Willy gracefully stepped to the side, his cane twirling impressively in his hands. In the next few seconds, the cane met with several sensitive places on Aaron's body, and the tall blond man was face down on the ground, unconscious, as Willy was helping up a trembling Danika.

Staring at the man lying in front of him, Willy wrapped his arms around his lovely lady, holding her close to his body to try and calm her down. Gloved fingers reached into his coat and retrieved a handkerchief before going to wipe away her tears. She sighed and leaned against him, happy that he'd come to help her when she needed it most.

Escorting his trembling beloved inside, Willy made a quick call to the Oompa Loompas, who soon had the intruder/attacker outside the gates. They left him wrapped up in several yards of grape taffy, with most of his teeth missing and several lumps on his face and body from Willy's defensive attack. Satisfied with their work, the tiny people were wicked enough to kick the unconscious man in the rear end a few times before heading inside to tend to their Tall People.

* * *

AN: Wow, Willy Wonka to the rescue! (cues the heroic music) Our hero…(dreamy sighs) Anyway, please review and let us know what you think of the chapter! 


	21. Completion: Rated R!

Disclaimer: Many of you may be wondering what our grounded authoress did while serving her sentence. Well, she has some connections with a private club, and she got a very lovely young lady to try and seduce Tim Burton while said authoress attempted to steal the delectable Willy Wonka. However, it appears that Mr. Burton wasn't interested in her, seeing as the chocolatier is still not in our possession…

A/N: WE'RE BACK! Oh, and there is a **_major_** warning for those of you who are uncomfortable with adult stuff. **This is a rated R chapter**! If you have moral issues, or are unable to read this due to your age or any other sort of reason, please skip the marked parts. Material before and after the R marked sections are PG-13.

**Chapter 21: Completion:**

After the attacker had been disposed of, Willy had carried a quivering Danika back to her room in silence. The only noise as they moved through the hallways had been the squeak of Willy's glove as he stroked her back comfortingly with his fingers. Finally, the two of them had reached her room, closing the door behind them to keep out any unwanted questions from the Oompa Loompas.

As they stood together in her vanilla-scented bedroom, Danika kept her arms around his neck, her face pressed into his shoulder. The tears wouldn't stop, and she couldn't let go of him, fearing that Aaron might somehow return and harm her again. She had been so scared…pinned down on the cold ground was _not_ how she pictured her first time of…well, you know. Presently, Willy held her in his arms as they stood at the foot of her bed, his body absorbing the shudders her body gave off, his cheek nestled in her halo of auburn hair. Right now, the two felt that, if Willy didn't have his arms tightly wrapped around her, holding her upright, she might just fall over with shock from the day's events.

Finally, Willy spoke. "Danika, I…I'm so sorry…I…I should have…I could have…god, I'm so sorry," he said, pulling her tight against him.

Startled, Danika held him as tightly as he held her. He had saved her life and he was making it sound like it was his fault? It simply wasn't right, nor was it true. As they hugged one another, Danika softly dried her tears on his crimson coat before she pulled back to look at him. Emerald met violet in an emotional embrace as she shook her head.

"You shouldn't be sorry, Willy, it's not your fault. There was nothing you could have done," she said, putting a hand on his cheek and taking one of his gloved hands in the other. He put his free hand over the one covering his cheek and opened his mouth to speak. So overcome with emotion, he could do nothing but pull her closer to him, pressing his cheek against hers.

Danika sighed with contentment as he rubbed his cheek comfortingly against hers. Willy's skin was smooth and soft, so unlike Aaron's stubble-covered face. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he turned his head and gave her a light reassuring kiss on the cheek, then went back to just comforting her and holding her tightly against him.

Danika surrendered to the warmth of his embrace. His arms felt so good and so warm, surrounding and protecting her. As he held her, her mind traveled back to her thoughts before Willy had come to her rescue.

She had been so afraid. She'd always believed that sex was something you shared with someone you loved. She had definitely _not_ loved Aaron, which was why she was so afraid of what had been happening to her. All she could think about as Aaron had assaulted her body was that it should have been Willy there with her…and he had been, later on, to rescue her.

Suddenly, Nika's thoughts stopped on the words that Willy had said to Aaron.

'_Because she is the woman I love,'_ he'd said. Those words brought her back to the present and back to the brave man whose arms were around her.

"Willy?" she asked.

"Yes?" he mumbled from her tangled mess of red hair.

"Did you really mean what you said to Aaron? That I was the woman you love?"

"Every word," he whispered, his arm drawing tighter around her waist. She could almost feel his warm smile through her hair. "Why?"

"I guess I was just curious," she replied, her hands sliding up and down his back.

Willy pulled slightly away so he could gaze into her green eyes. "You are my starshine in the darkest night," he whispered, caressing her face as he spoke. " I will _always_ love you."

Danika felt so happy, she though she would burst. He loved her, and she loved him, too. She had to let him know.

"I love you, too," she whispered as their lips found each other in a warm, heartfelt kiss.

* * *

**Warning: R rated scenes ahead!**

Sighing, Danika let her arms wrap securely around the body of the chocolatier. Suddenly, unbidden, the image of him covered in chocolate from her river rescue filled her mind. She groaned into the kiss, suddenly wanting so much more from the man in front of her. Her hands quickly found their way into the Chocolatier's silky hair, and Danika found herself pressing her body more firmly against his. Willy moaned, giving Danika the response she was looking for.

Seemingly under their own power, Willy's hands found the hem of her top, slipping underneath and caressing the bare skin hidden within. Danika gasped at the feel of latex rubbing against her, giving Willy a heated look that soon had him tearing off his gloves and throwing them across the room. Smiling, Willy traced his bare fingers along her spine and over her shoulders. When his fingers brushed over the warm skin of her breast, both of them were thrown into a whole new world. Danika took a quick intake of breath as Willy's hands continued on their path.

Letting out a soft sigh, Danika leaned forward and kissed him, allowing his hands to slip the top from her shoulders and slide to the ground with a soft rustle of fabric. Not wasting a moment, she moved her hands towards Willy's coat and soon had it on the ground as well. Danika let her hands travel to his throat where the large **_W_** buckle on his collar shone proudly. After finishing with it, her fingers fluttered over the buttons quickly and silently. Soon she was pushing it off of his shoulders, the two of them free to explore the top of one another's bodies.

Willy could hardly believe that this was happening to him. Never had he imagined a beautiful woman wanting him like this, touching him, kissing him, holding him as she led him towards the bed. It was Danika's bed, and it smelled as heavenly as it looked, beckoning the two of them towards it. Not hesitating, Willy picked up the woman he loved and laid her down on the covers. Willy climbed onto the bed and perched on his hands and knees above her, admiring the view of her body lying beneath his…it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen…

She smiled up at him with anticipation of what was to come as their lips connected once more in a fiery kiss. Willy's hands caressed her sides until they came to the hem of her skirt, quickly pulling it away as he looked into her eyes, wanting to make sure she wanted to do this. Danika could only smile warmly at the man she loved. He was so sweet, wanting to be sure of this before moving forward. Placing a hand on his cheek, she gave him a soft kiss before moving her other hand towards his belt.

Willy smiled as her hands began to quickly undo his belt. He slid her skirt down and deposited it on the floor. His mind must have left him, because the next thing he knew, his pants and the rest of the clothing they still had soon joined them. Willy leaned back to take a look at the beautiful woman before him. Her red hair spilled out on the pillow, green eyes sparkling up at him with joy and love. His own eyes widened as she gave him an inviting wink. Danika squealed as violet eyes narrowed and he moved to pounce on her.

He could feel her pinned body shiver under his touch, and that excited him even more than he thought possible. Biting back a growl, Willy slid his hands under her back, pressing their bodies together as he leaned down to kiss her. He could feel Danika's hands sliding up his back, holding him so that he could not move away. The boldness of her touch showed him that she wanted more than what he was giving her.

He removed his lips from hers and trailed them down her jawbone to her neck, where he began to lightly suck and nip at the sensitive skin there. Danika's fingertips pressed into his back, letting him know she liked what he was doing. As his mouth moved lower, her breath came quicker, her hands moving around until they were in his hair, cradling his head, holding on for dear life.

Willy let his mouth rove over every inch of Nika's skin that he could reach. Great Chocolate Gods Above, did he love this woman! He could feel her hands gently tugging on the strands of his hair, hear her whispering his name, practically begging for more...and he decided to give it to her...

His hand that had been roaming over her body began to slip ever downward and soon Danika took a loud intake of breath and arched her body into his touch. He smiled and continued his onslaught of her body. Finally, Danika couldn't take it anymore. She pulled his face up to her hers and caught his lips in a mind-boggling embrace.

The kiss seemed to light some sort of fire within Willy's body. Unable to hold himself back, he began pushing himself into her slowly, praying that she wouldn't start fighting him now. If she told him to stop, he would die...he needed her like the air he breathed, and if she pushed him away now...

Danika's grip tightened on his shoulders with the slight pain it brought her, but she never once told him to stop. When Willy had buried his entire length within her, he waited patiently for her to give him a sign that she was all right. She wrapped her legs around his waist and the dance began...

Sighing, Willy moved oh-so-slightly, testing to see if he was causing his beloved Danika any pain. When she winced, he stopped, fearing the worst. When she suddenly clutched at his body, telling him of her need for more, Willy couldn't stop himself from moving once more within her, this time causing her to moan. Encouraged, he moved again, pushing himself as far as he could go, relishing the warmth of her body.

Danika clutched Willy's shoulders as he began moving inside of her. Each movement brought a new sensation to her that felt so good that, in that moment, she thought she would die then and there in his arms. Soon, she began rocking her hips with his. Her breath was coming quicker now, interrupted by a moan every now and then as he thrust forward into her.

Willy gasped as Danika's fingers clenched at his shoulders, the pain mixing with the pleasure of being together with her. It was the most intense thing he'd ever experienced, and he never wanted it to end. He loved her so much, and was in awe of actually being joined with her in this wonderful, magical moment.

Suddenly, he could feel the edge coming closer with each thrust. As he began to moan in sync with her, Willy opened his eyes to see Danika's closed in pure ecstasy. Her mouth slightly open as she moaned, Willy caught her lips with his as he shifted to add an all-new angle to their lovemaking.

It was the feeling of his lips on hers and the new way he was taking her that finally threw Danika over the edge and into the heavens. Stars exploded and flashed before her eyes, causing her to gasp in bliss. Never in her life had she felt so alive and so complete, all at the same time. Clutching at Willy's body, she let herself fly…

As Willy continued to love her, he deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth in time with each thrust of his hips, eliciting a moan from her. Their breath was coming in gasps now, and the fact that they were locked at the mouth didn't help. He once again picked up the pace as he could feel the edge coming closer, the cliff he needed to jump off of to show Danika how much he loved her was coming closer with each thrust of his hips and each moan from their mouths.

Suddenly, time seemed to stop for the two lovers, each of them losing themselves as they flew over into oblivion. Danika could feel something deliciously warm flowing into her even as Willy could feel something pour out of his body to merge with hers. Instantaneously, time resumed, and the two of them collapsed onto the sheets of the bed.

Willy could hardly move. The pleasure was so great in him that he didn't want to spoil it. Finally, he raised himself up and shifted to lie down beside Danika, pulling her close to his body as he moved the sheets to wrap them up. She smiled and turned her head up to look at him. Thinking that he had somehow made a mistake in her wanting him, Willy looked into her eyes and saw only adoration and love shining in the emerald-green depths. He smiled back at her and kissed her lightly on the lips before settling down for a comfy sleep with Danika by his side.

**End R Section**

* * *

Meanwhile, in an obscure part of the factory, the adult Oompa Loompas had gathered in a council meeting about their beloved Tall People. A few workers wandering the halls had heard noises from the room of the Fire-Haired Lady, and had thought the best: the Cocoa Bean Man had finally claimed his mate. They had then rushed to the village to spread the joyful news.

* * *

AN: Well, what did you all think? We hope that we didn't offend anyone, but the story was intended to be a bit "adult" from the beginning, so please don't hate us! We will continue to mark rated R sections for those of you uncomfortable with that sort of thing. Thanks for reading! 


	22. A Very Good Morning and Evening

Disclaimer: We tried building a teleporting machine to try and beam Willy Wonka into our secret lair from the Burton compound, but have (so far) failed to get it to work…therefore, the Amazing Chocolatier is not ours…yet….

A/N: We are sorry to say that this is the final chapter of the story. We have officially "Wonkafied" ourselves out on this story. HOWEVER, we will leave this open for a sequel, so if enough people want one, it will be written. Also, we will be writing more stories staring Johnny Depp's movie characters! We don't know where we'll be next, but we promise good old-fashioned sappiness and romance wherever we go! Enjoy this last chapter!

**Chapter 22: A _Very_ Good Morning and Evening:**

Bright sunlight shining directly into one's eye is enough to wake anyone up from a deep sleep…anyone, that is, except Willy Wonka.

Danika managed to figure this fact out in the early hours of the day, just as the bright light of dawn blasted into her eyes, jolting her out of a very nice dream she'd been having.

'_And boy, was it a good dream_!' she thought, not opening her eyes in an attempt to hold onto that dream as long as possible. '_It seemed so real_…'

At that moment, the pair of strong arms that suddenly gripped her waist convinced her that perhaps that dream had, in fact, been very real. Slowly opening her eyes, Danika found herself rolling off of her left side and onto her back, looking up at the pale, blissfully dozing face of Willy Wonka. His normally immaculate brownish-red hair was slightly mussed, and his lips were set in a very happy smile. Danika quickly decided that she probably _didn't_ want to know what he was dreaming (or thinking) about to make him smile like that, so she decided to let him rest. Instead, she decided to inspect the man that she loved while he slept beside her.

For a man who worked and lived in a chocolate factory, Willy Wonka was amazingly fit. She knew (from experience) that he and the Oompa Loompas did not live off of nothing but sweets, but that they ate normally like everyone else (with the exception of the Oompa Loompa population consuming vast amounts of cocoa beans). She didn't know how Willy managed to stay in shape, but he did; the very finely sculpted chest showing above the sheets were a testament to that! Well, that and the fact that he had carried her all the way up to the bedrooms from the front door with little difficulty.

'_He's definitely the sweetest man I've ever met_,' she thought, her right shoulder resting on top of the chocolatier's chest, rising and falling with his deep breathing. '_No pun intended, of course_.'

Before she could stop it, a small giggle escaped her lips. The sound caused the sleeping chocolatier to stir, and Danika quickly clasped her hands over her mouth, praying that she hadn't woken him up. He was just too cute when he was asleep! To her relief, Willy merely opened his eyes a tiny bit, his smile turning into a grin.

"Is it time to get up, Starshine?" he murmured, using the grip his arms had around her waist to pull her closer to him. Once he was sure that she was securely pressed against him, he nuzzled his nose against her neck and shoulder, sighing as he did so.

"No, it's alright, Willy," she whispered, giving him a soft peck on the forehead. "Go back to sleep."

"'K," he whispered, drifting off again into dreams, his grip on her not loosening a bit.

Smiling, Danika turned onto her right side so that she was facing him as she, too, drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

Willy awoke from the best dream he'd ever had. In that dream, he and Danika had been lying on a beach somewhere, and she had been wearing the prettiest bright green bikini…although, in his opinion, she would have looked much better _without_ it. The sun was shining on them, nice and warm on their skin, and the waves were making soft lapping sounds on the white sand. Suddenly, the sunlight was too bright, and Willy found himself pulled into wakefulness.

'_And it had been such a wonderful dream, too_,' he thought, pouting to himself. He wished that it had gone on longer than it had.

The feeling of a soft, warm breeze flowing over his chest fully woke him, and he looked down to find his beloved Nika, her left arm draped across his waist and her head on his chest, fast asleep. So last night _hadn't_ been a dream? Had Willy actually spent the night making love to the woman he cherished above all else? He looked down. Well, it sure looked like it…and he couldn't be happier.

'_Well, technically, I could be happier_,' he thought, chewing his bottom lip in thought.

There was one thing that he could do to make his life complete, but that would take a great deal of planning and thought…and a lot of Oompa Loompas to put into action to get it done in time! Smiling, Willy lay back on the bed and waited for his beloved Nika to wake.

Drifting back into wakefulness, Danika could feel fingers gliding up and down her arm and back, signaling that Willy was now awake and obviously bored. Opening her green eyes, she tilted her head back and smiled as purple orbs gazed back at her.

"Good morning, Starshine," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. "The Earth says hello."

"Morning," she whispered, tilting her head back to return the kiss before settling back into his arms. "Are you going to get up now? I imagine that you have a lot of work to do."

She hadn't wanted to ask him that, nor give him any ideas, but she knew that he was a very busy man. She fully expected him to agree with her and immediately head off to start working on his chocolates, but instead was very surprised when he merely smiled at her and stayed put instead of leaving.

"Well, you see, Starshine, I _could_ get up," Willy replied, rolling her onto her back so that he could perch himself above her. "But then I wouldn't be able to spend more time here with you."

Nika giggled. "But you're a very busy chocolatier," she teasingly protested, smirking up at him while fluttering her eyelashes.

"Not too busy for you." He placed a kiss on her lips. "_Never_ for you."

* * *

Two hours later, the two enjoyed a rather cozy breakfast in Danika's room, sitting across from each other and occasionally gazing shyly (and flirtingly) into one another's eyes. It was rather adorable, and the Oompa Loompas watching from the sidelines were beaming like maniacs; they couldn't _wait_ to report the situation to the rest of the tribe!

Once the meal was finished, Danika stayed behind in her room and changed into some comfortable and casual clothing so that they could spend the day together. Meanwhile, Willy went off to do something that had been plaguing his mind since that morning. He gathered a few dozen Oompa Loompas and sent them off on various errands around the factory to set in motion what he had planned for the evening.

To Danika's surprise, Willy had the two of them spend the day in the Chocolate Room. The morning and afternoon had sported a somewhat Victorian air, since a lovely pavilion had been set up by the chocolate river just so the two of them could talk pleasantly in the shade (as well as have a nice picnic lunch or afternoon snack together). For a treat, there had been flavored marshmallow fluff, courtesy of the Oompa Loompas, which had been wonderful for a food fight that Willy had instigated for some reason neither one of them could remember.

After cleaning up (privately) from their little food fight, Danika met Willy in the hallway outside of their rooms, surprised to see him formally dressed all in black. His shirt was of black silk, and his pants and coat appeared to be made of black velvet; a closer look showed that the coat was covered in silvery-black beads and sequins that were sewn in the shapes of stars. Even his top hat was black, with only a silver ribbon wound around it to make it dressy. Feeling remarkably underdressed, Danika moved to go back into her room to change, but was stopped by Willy's bare hand on her arm.

"There's a dress for you in my room," he said, his voice surprisingly soft and nervous. "Go change. I'll wait for you out here."

Racing into Willy's room, Danika found a breathtakingly beautiful dress lying on his bed. The bodice was made to look like a corset, only with a zipper instead of tight lacings. It also had red braid running along the top and bottom edges, and down the center, right from the valley of her breasts to where the bodice met the skirt of the dress. Shimmering red-tinted black material made the skirt, which flared out a slight bit in a cascade of shimmering elegance. Best of all, there was a black choker with a small teardrop ruby hanging from it on a gold chain.

Excited, Danika quickly slipped into the dress and into a pair of black shoes that she found on the floor beside the bedpost. Deciding to leave her hair down, she quickly attached the choker and raced out to meet Willy in the hallway. He greeted her with a smile and offered her his arm, which she gladly accepted, feeling like a princess in her dress and on the arm of the most handsome chocolatier in the world.

She had expected him to escort her to the glass elevator or to the Chocolate Room, but when he did neither, she grew puzzled, but said nothing. Danika knew that Willy practically lived to show her wonderful surprises and gifts, so she decided to just let him lead her to wherever it was he was taking her. Besides, she figured that if it was this secret, it had to be good…right?

* * *

In the back of his mind, Willy Wonka was ready to either explode or run around screaming; he was that nervous and excited. He had been planning this for only a few hours, but he knew that this evening would totally blow all of their previous romantic evenings together out of the water. Or, at least, he _hoped_ so. If things didn't turn out the way he'd planned it to, there would be no way he could survive to see tomorrow morning…it would just be too embarrassing and depressing.

Taking a deep breath, he led Danika up through the factory and into the huge glass conservatory dome that he'd built years ago, just so he could watch the stars during cold or stormy nights. The entire thing was made from glass; even the little panes holding the clear sheets were made of glass so as not to obstruct a person's view. In effect, it was much like the Glass Elevator, only it was a huge dome and it was well heated by a large fire pit built into the center of the floor. It was also decorated to be comfortable, with dozens of thick rugs, well-padded chairs, warm, dimly glowing lights, and large wooden tables all around to hold viewing equipment or refreshments. It was one of Willy's favorite rooms in (or rather, on top of) the factory, and he wanted very much to share it with the woman he loved.

As they ascended the last steps and went through the large trapdoor that opened up into the conservatory, Willy watched as Danika's face lit up with wonder and awe. His heart swelled up with joy and love at the sight of her glowing face, and pride filled him at being able to create such a place, one where the two of them became the only people on the face of the planet as they watched the stars shine above them. Taking a glance around the room, he noticed that most of the furniture had been cleared away so that a table and two chairs could be situated in the center of the room near the fireplace. On top of the table was a small candelabra and a romantic dinner for two, with a bottle of champagne finely wrapped in white cloth. Grinning broadly, Willy placed a hand on Danika's arm to get her attention.

"Dinner is served, Starshine," he said, smiling as she giggled at him.

"But I'm not the only star here, Willy," she replied, blushing at his nickname for her as she gave a quick glance to the sparkling lights above.

"No, but you're _my_ Starshine, and therefore the brightest star in the whole universe," Willy replied, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her towards the dinner table.

After seating her comfortably in her chair, Willy took his place and waited for the Oompa Loompas to uncover the food and pour the champagne. Once they were fully alone, the two of them began to eat, throwing glances back and forth as they made small talk. The roasted chicken breast stuffed with cheese and mushrooms was particularly tasty, and the chocolate mousse topped with cherry-flavored whipped cream told him that the Oompa Loompas had done their hardest to make this dinner a success.

Once the meal was over and the dishes cleared, Willy took her hand in his as they finished sipping the last of the champagne. She was so beautiful in starlight, it made him want to capture her and tuck her away in his pocket, just so he could keep her with him forever.

'_Well, there is another way to keep her h_ere,' he thought, slowly getting up from his chair with her hand still in his. Clearing his throat, Willy slightly jerked his head, motioning for Danika to follow him. Looking puzzled, she did so.

* * *

The two of them stood at the far end of the conservatory, gazing out at the horizon where the golden lights of the town met the silvery lights of the night sky. It was a perfectly clear evening, and Danika felt that the night couldn't get any better than this. She stood with her back against Willy's chest, and he had his arms around her, making her feel safe, warm, and loved, all at the same time.

"Starshine?" he whispered into her ear, catching her attention.

"Hmm?" was the only thing she could think of through the blissful haze in her mind.

"Starshine, will you…" he cleared his throat, causing her to look up at him, her green eyes meeting his purple ones. "Will you…marry me?"

Her jaw dropped as she turned her head slightly to find a beautiful star-shaped diamond set in a yellow gold ring. It was absolutely stunning, and she could only think of one thing to say.

"Yes," she whispered, sighing happily as the chocolatier she loved slipped the ring over her left finger.

Smiling, Willy wrapped his arms around her once more and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss before they went back to looking at the lights of both city and sky.

* * *

As the camera pulls back from the perfect shot of the two lovers and focuses on the sparkling heavens, one last sentence and question hangs in the air…

"I was thinking…maybe I should let a few kids into the factory, just so they can see it for themselves," Willy Wonka's voice softly whispers. "What do you think?"

* * *

AN: That was it! We hope that you liked the ending. So the question is: sequel or no sequel. Well, it all kind of depends on whether we feel up to it or not, so just keep a sharp eye out for our work via our bio page…or your alerts, whichever you prefer to keep you posted on us. Thanks for all of your love and support during this story; we love each and every one of you readers and reviewers! Goodnight, Starshine, and we'll see you soon! 


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